


Rebirth of the Phoenix Slayer

by WeissGrayBlu



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 35,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24824746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeissGrayBlu/pseuds/WeissGrayBlu
Summary: Osiris Larkin, Iris, is a phoenix slayer and the one and only of her kind. After being kidnapped as a child into the hunter's guild, Crimson Blade, Iris is unceremoniously saved one day by Fairy Tail and suddenly finds herself fighting for the 'good' side. She is convinced she doesn't fit in, not trusting the mages who so rashly decided to give her a second chance. They're all impulsive, insane, and are too naive to trust someone such as herself with her kind of past. However, as she comes to learn about the pasts of everyone in her new guild, she realises that maybe she's not the only one repenting. And then there's the stoic, stubborn, blunt ice-mage who always seems to catch Iris off-guard.
Relationships: Gray Fullbuster/Original Female Character(s), Natsu Dragneel/Lucy Heartfilia
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. Destrian Forest

Deep in a forest only depicted on most maps as a vast dark green landscape, no one had bothered to name this particular corner of the world. It had taken the group of four wizards a very long time to catch up with the creature they had been chasing since the inception of their guild. But the leader of their group knew this was it, the magic last of its kind had made its home in the depths of these woods and they had come to claim it for themselves.

“Are you sure it’s here?” Adelram asked, not at all convinced that their tenuous search was over.

“It’s here, I’m sure of it,” Blagden replied with an assured sense of confidence.

“Alright then, let’s go phoenix hunting!” Cica hollered wildly.

He was definitely the most lively out of the entire guild. It often got him into trouble with the guild master who never took lightly to his orders being ignored or disobeyed. But Crimson Blade’s guild master was not here for this very important task. In his stead as the next generation was his nephew and three other much more qualified wizards than Cica.

The four dark mages entered silently, despite Cica’s energy, into the ancient foliage to claim their prey.

XXX

Deep in one of the forests on the outskirts of the Fiore kingdom, a father was out teaching his daughter how to read and write.

“Is this right, dad?” the young girl asked when she finished writing in the dirt with her pointed stick.

The large crimson bird moved to read behind his daughter’s shoulder.

“Almost, but _moon_ does not have an ‘e’ on the end when spelling out _moon goddess_ ,” her father replied.

The little human girl’s face scrunched up before she erased her entire work and set out to do it again without any mistakes. The sight of a mythical creature raising a human child was a rare sight in itself which kept the little family living far away from other humans. However, there were far more sinister reasons Xavierus chose to raise his daughter in this deep degree of isolation.

Xavierus was a phoenix with exceptional magical capabilities. He didn’t have any other family to speak of except for the little girl he found abandoned eight years ago in a forest similar to this one. Against his better judgement at the time, Xavierus took in the little girl and decided to raise her as his own. Despite being human, Xavierus was able to teach the child to become a phoenix slayer. Since he was the last of his kind that he knew of in this world, it was the closest way he could pass down his magic onto another generation, if only to have it die out a generation later. He loved his daughter with all his heart, and let this new lifestyle take him away from a previously dangerous existence of purging this world of darkness. Because of his hiatus however, he knew that one day the darkness would finally come for him.

As Xavierus watched his daughter work with a determined expression on her face, his ears perked up suspiciously. He could hear several sets of footsteps moving as if they were tracking some sort of prey. It was nothing he hadn’t heard before, but he was shocked when his _sight_ took over. The clearing around him vanished for a moment and was replaced by a glimpse into the immediate future.

“Osiris, I need you to listen very carefully,” Xavierus said to his daughter once his normal sight returned.

“What is it, daddy?” the little girl answered, copper hair bouncing off her shoulders as she looked up at her father.

“You know that I have taught you all of the phoenix secret arts and that I have prepared you to be able to be able to slay one down?” the large majestic bird looked soulfully at the young human he had raised since infancy.

“Of course, father, you raised me to be the daughter of a phoenix. I would never let you down,” the nine-year-old answered, feeling the brevity of her father’s words.

For the last eight years she had followed the careful instructions of her adopted father to be able to inherit the full powers of a phoenix. She could manipulate flames that were as hot and bright as the sun. These flames were thought to have been blessed onto her father’s ancestors from the sun goddess and that they were eternal. She had also learned how to absorb most attacks into her own vibrant wings which were a part of her soul take-over form. Only those who have been raised by phoenixes are able to perform a phoenix take-over making Osiris rare in her own right.

~~~

“You know that I am the last of my kind, my sweet Iris,” I heard my father say in a troubling voice.

“Yes father, that’s why you’ve taught me everything about being a phoenix and their true powers,” I said, reciting almost verbatim what my father had repeated to me all my life.

My powers didn’t let me completely turn into a mythical creature but instead gave me a red plumed mask which formed as a protection piece over my face while my wings become weapons for defense and destruction. The rest of my body remains human for the take-over. I am also not immortal, and neither is my father, but he alone has the ability to regenerate himself. I only have the exceptional ability of absorbing most attacks, but I am not impervious to death like my father has been in his past. Since he adopted me though, Xavierus has not performed in any battles where his life force could be taken. He never wanted to risk abandoning me, since he only has a limited amount of regenerations. Although he is aware of this fact, he still does not know how many regenerations he has been bestowed or when they will run out.

“And you remember when I said that we live in constant danger of human greed because I am the last of my kind?” Xavierus continued, keeping the sadness from his voice.

“I’ll protect you, father! I’m strong enough!” I screeched, feeling my powers surge from inside me.

I could already feel the red feathers sprouting from my spine and those starting to cover my face.

“No, my child. The foe who seeks us has been tracking me for years. Longer than your life I have tried to escape them. Now, I only see you being put in danger, my dear child,” Xavierus explained hoarsely.

“But dad, you’re the strongest person I know. You can face any dark wizards or anything that tries to attack!” I responded stubbornly.

I could feel the tears staining my feathers, not understanding why my father was giving up before these supposed foes even arrived.

Xavierus sighed. Unbeknownst to his daughter, phoenixes had the rare power of seeing into the immediate future if it meant there was an imminent threat. Sort of like an internal security measure to foresee foreboding forces and unavoidable tragedy. It is the only thing he kept from his daughter’s teachings since he didn’t want to frighten her. Plus, it was his burden to bear alone.

All he could see now though was himself holding his beloved daughter’s broken body in his arms while he wept over her. It didn’t matter whether he defeated this dark guild once and for all, if it meant his daughter’s blood being spilt.

“I am going to give you the greatest gift I could ever give you, my dear. I have trained you to keep you safe, and this way I can protect you once I am gone from this world,” Xavierus explained gently.

“What are you talking about Xavierus?!” I shouted, using his name to show how serious and scared I was.

“They cannot harm you with the soul of a phoenix,” my father explained despite my fears of what his words truly meant.

“No! I don’t want you to leave!” I started to panic.

My father wasn’t making any sense and I could now see the sadness in his eyes.

“I will always be with you, my sweet Osiris. The name I gave you means one who is born from a phoenix. Quite literal I know, but now I will give you that true gift. My daughter, you are the most precious gift I was ever given from the gods above and I do not intend to let harm befall you,” he said, tears now flowing freely down his face.

“Daddy! I love you!” I screamed, throwing myself into his embrace as he folded his own magnificent wings around me.

He started to chant in whispers above me.

“ _Like Icarus, I fall from the fiery skies._

_Take my soul so I shall die._

_I leave this realm humbled by love._

_So, I shall wake in the lands above._

_I hold close who is worthy to survive._

_They will now hold my heavenly power to revive._

_Protect them from this ill fate._

_Take me instead, my time is late.”_

The poem was soothing as I heard the love my father had for me in his voice. He never unraveled his beautiful plumage from around me, but instead it slowly turned to ash. By the time I lifted myself from his body, most of his feathers had disappeared in smoke.

“Wake up, daddy! Wake up!” I pleaded with tears streaming down my face.

My father had told me when I was old enough to understand that if he ever fell asleep, he would always come back to me, that I should not be afraid. But now his body was disappearing altogether like a dampening flame.

“Adelram, take her out!” I heard someone call out from behind me.

In all my sorrow I had not heard the team of mages come up from behind me.

I could now sense their darkness, but I couldn’t move my arms away from the last remnants of my father. How could he leave me?

The next thing I knew I felt the crushing force of a large rock crumbling over my head, causing me to fall unconscious in the remains of my father’s wings.

+++

Ten Years Later:

“Erza, I have a special assignment I need you to look into,” Master Makarov called out as the requip mage and the rest of Team Natsu entered the guild.

“Yes, Master?” Erza asked, walking towards the bar where the master was seated.

“There’s been some rumours about a hunter’s guild looking for dark artifacts,” Makarov started before hearing Lucy gasp from beside the redheaded mage.

He didn’t blame the girl’s fear, hunter’s guilds were vicious, vile organizations that haunted even the most trained wizard’s nightmares. There was a horror to behold someone who killed for sport without any remorse.

“What’s a hunter’s guild?” Wendy asked, never hearing of such a thing before. She looked nervously between her teammates who all wore concerning expressions, even Natsu who was quick to anger.

Makarov’s frown deepened. He had previously been conflicted whether to even send little Wendy on this mission, but the fact that she was a dragon slayer made her vital to the mission. He only wished Laxus or Gajeel had been available instead.

“It’s a type of dark guild, but there aren’t too many left in existence since the council cracked down on them a few years ago. The ones I’ve heard mentioned are all independent. I guess you could compare them to Eisenwald since they were all death gods, but hunters are different. They usually only act on their own interests and slaughter villages instead of just killing a few individuals at a time. And they do it for sport. If one of them is on the move they must be stopped at once,” Erza explained severely.

Despite the girls’ fear, the small dragon slayer stood determinedly at Erza’s sides, ready to hear the mission from their master. The others behind were less clued into the situation as usual, but no less prepared to go to battle.

“Hm. I need you to go to Destrian Forest. There’s been a surge of magical energy there and we suspect one of the hunter guilds, Crimson Blade, has come out of hiding to investigate it,” Master continued with concern.

Crimson Blade was known as a ruthless dark guild that mostly operated out of the shadows. They only came out of hiding when it best suited them, and they were known for wiping villages off the map in just a night. Rumour had it that they might also have their own dragon slayer on the team, but no one had ever been able to confirm these suspicions. Besides, Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy had never heard of there being such a thing.

“Of course sir, we’ll set off right away,” Erza agreed without hesitation, despite what she knew the master was asking of them. The redhead found it an honour to be asked this responsibility instead of the risk someone else outside of Fairy Tail may see it as.

“What!? We just got here,” Natsu complained, still feeling woozy from the previous train ride back to Magnolia.

“Natsu!” Lucy chastised. “What would happen if this Crimson Blade got a hold of the artefact first? I mean I haven’t even heard of this dark guild before.”

Gray frowned, being a little more familiar with hunter guilds through word of mouth. “Yea, they really don’t come out into the public very often. I would argue that they’re just as powerful as Grimoire Heart was before it disbanded.”

“Really?” Wendy asked nervously.

The incident on Tenrou Island was never far from their minds, especially since right after their battle with Grimoire Heart they lost seven years of their lives. It was also surprising that such a small team would go out on such a mission considering it had taken most of the entire guild to take down Grimoire Heart. And when they had gone against the Oracion Seis, they had teamed up with other guilds.

“Your task is to retrieve the artefact first; I hope that you will arrive first and be able to bring it back for the Magic Council before Crimson Blade even gets to the forest. This is to be a retrieval mission, not one to take down a hunter’s guild,” Makarov’s order was strict and left no room for argument, even for Gray and Natsu who looked annoyed to be going on what they would deem a _boring_ mission.

“Of course, Master. But do you think the rumours are true? Erza inquired further.

Makarov grunted knowingly. None of the other’s knew what Erza was talking about.

“It still hasn’t been confirmed, but I have faith since you’ll have Natsu and Wendy with you. I would have sent Gajeel as well but he and Lily took a job yesterday and aren’t back yet. Laxus is also out with the Thunder Legion on an S-class mission and I fear this is time sensitive. I don’t want you to wait until they return to head out,” the master replied seriously.

“Right,” Erza nodded with finality before turning to head back out with her ridiculous cart in tow.

Some of the others however were not as accepting of this simple explanation.

“Wait, why would we need the metal and lightening idiots to come with us?” Natsu asked, feeling annoyed he wouldn’t be able to defeat anything this dark guild threw at him.

“Because this is the dark guild that is rumoured to have a dragon slayer on their team,” Master replied gravely.

Natsu growled while Wendy gasped. They both remembered the master asking them about other dragon slayers before, but they hadn’t any knowledge of a dark dragon slayer being in existence aside from Cobra.

“Well, I’m fired up now!” Natsu announced with a grin, punching his fist into his other hand for posterity.

“We better head out. We can catch the next train and arrive by morning,” Erza said and this tine the others nodded in quick agreement.

Team Natsu then turned around and headed back out the door they had just entered moments earlier.

“Be safe, my children,” Makarov whispered after them.

“Do you really think there’s another dragon slayer out there?” Mirajane asked from behind the counter, breaking her silence after hearing the entire briefing.

The master turned around and sighed, feeling a moment of doubt that he couldn’t shake.

“I really can’t say. We already have four of those dragon brats in Fairy Tail, but I fear that this may be something different altogether. Something we have never seen before,” Master replied uneasily.

Mira frowned and looked up to where Team Natsu had already left. She was worried and said a silent prayer in her head. She would keep her faith in her friends to make sure they all returned safely.

**

“Put your head out the window!” Lucy shouted at Natsu who was about to hurl.

They had all slept on the train since Destrian Forest was a day out from Magnolia. They were used to travelling like this, despite Natsu’s constant objections. But this time there was a nervousness between them that they decided to remain unspoken.

“So, do you really think it’s another dragon slayer?” Wendy asked curiously instead.

“I have no idea, but I find it hard to believe since we already know of five including Cobra from Oracion Seis. And we know it can’t be him since he’s been locked up by the Magic Council,” Erza replied earnestly.

Erza agreed with Master though; this didn’t sit right. Plus, there were really only whispers of Crimson Blade. They were very secretive and allegedly even rejected the Balam Alliance from their invitation. The only thing Erza knew for sure was that they called themselves hunters, meaning they never left any survivors to tell of their existence.

“We must all keep our guards up and retrieve the artefact, whatever it may be, before Crimson Blade finds it. If we can avoid a fight I would like to try. They aren’t known for having mercy on their enemies,” Erza explained grimly.

Wendy and Lucy both flinched. They had been up against dark guilds before but seeing Erza this concerned was unsettling.

“So, what are we going to do anyways if they have a dragon slayer?” Gray asked.

It seemed to him that most dragon slayers eventually made their way to Fairy Tail despite their previous allegiances. Cobra was the exception but Wendy and Gajeel had found their home there.

“We’ll fight for our lives,” Erza replied earnestly.

**

When they all arrived at Destrian Forest, they immediately set out into its depths. It wasn’t any different than any other ancient forest they had ventured into for a job. The fresh air was supposed to be refreshing and the foliage provided shade from the sun, but nothing about this journey felt relaxing. But instead of showing fear, Team Natsu set out with determination and a silent hope that they could avoid this fight, since not even Erza was confident they would make it out if they ran into the dark guild.

“I can feel it, the magic energy,” Gray said feeling unsettled.

It felt like a Jupiter cannon was hidden within the depths of the old forest.

“Let’s keep moving. Natsu, can you smell anything?” Erza asked after several hours of trekking.

“They’re here,” Natsu said seriously, keeping his guard up. “But I don’t smell any dragons.”

Erza nodded as they proceeded onward. Lucy gripped her keys in her fist. Erza silently requipped into a heavier armour than her usual apparel. Gray lost his shirt somewhere at the beginning of the journey but for once no one commented. Instead they proceeded in a tight knit group and followed Natsu who led them into the depths of the woods.

Suddenly, Natsu stopped. He put up his fist to tell the others to pause as he sniffed the air.

“What’s that?” Wendy pointed to what looked like a floating lacrima in the air.

“It must be the artefact,” Erza replied eagerly.

No one knew how it was there or why it was now exposed, but they needed to work quickly if Natsu already sensed the dark guild’s presence.

“Look out!” Natsu yelled suddenly, throwing Lucy to the ground as he dodged a surprise attack.

“My, my, what do we have here? Filthy guild wizards who are about to die,” one of the ominously assembled men announced with malice dripping from his voice.

There were four of them standing before the wizards from Fairy Tail.

They stood on a natural incline, looking down at the members of Fairy Tail from their rocky perch. Each of them stood in a row, the one on far left being a tall, muscular man with dark hair. He was the brute force type, older than any of Fairy Tail’s members and stood taller than the rest of his team. The next was a petite woman about Lucy’s age but had a much smaller figure. Her blonde hair was cropped short and she grinned like she was hungry for a fight. But that didn’t compare to the lanky man crouching beside her who looked like he was suffering from bloodlust. This guy obviously lived to fight and win. The last was a domineering sort of man who held his authority in the manner in which he stood. It was obvious already that this guy called the shots.

“You think you can defeat us?” the wild-eyed male taunted down at Natsu and the others.

It wasn’t certain from the other three whether they were going to say anything at all or just cut down Fairy Tail where they stood, but this guy looked ready to pounce and was obviously more one to gloat than the others. He also wore a wicked grin.

“ _Cocky bastard_ ,” Natsu thought to himself.

But even Natsu couldn’t deny the amount of magic power coming from these guys.

“Th—their magic energy—it’s so powerful,” Wendy whimpered from her place in between Gray and Erza.

“You can’t defeat Crimson Blade, because we don’t play by the Magic Council’s precious rules,” the female stepped forward with a smirk of her own, obviously trying to bait them as well.

Maybe these guys did like to play with their food a little before they ate.

These guys gave Lucy the creeps. Besides their intense power she could also feel the evil coming from them and that they took pride in taking the lives of their foes. Fairy Tail really couldn’t afford to lose.

“Leave them to me,” the muscular one announced and finally stepped forward to initiate the inevitable fight.

Lucy and the others all braced themselves to see how he would attack. It wasn’t usually Team Natsu’s style to gauge their opponent like this without going in head first with their own fighting, but their Master’s warning still rang through their heads as the dire warning it was meant to be.

“Kinetic magic: crush!” the man yelled, lifting his hand, and pointing to the rocks behind them.

It struck Fairy Tail as odd since nothing immediately happened, and he wasn’t emitting any magical attack from his body. However, Fairy Tail turned at the sound of the rocks crumbling from behind them. A huge chunk broke off from a cliff face and lifted up into the air rather impressively.

“Requip!” Erza shouted, instantly changing into one of her armours.

The rest all mobilized by running out of the way of this guy’s telekinetic range.

“Go Duana, bring it to me!” their leader ordered.

“Yes, sir,” the woman replied before disappearing into the trees around them.

“I can smell her, but she’s camouflaged,” Natsu shouted, gazing rapidly around the dense forest.

“Ow!” Lucy whined, causing all of them to look back at her.

Lucy was holding up her arm where a line of blood was flowing out from a small cut.

“You bastard!” Natsu roared angrily.

The girl had been too quick and had also taken advantage of Lucy’s given distraction. Natsu’s hand now had a prick of its own. She must be crazy fast to cut him without Natsu catching it.

“Way to let your guard down, dumbass,” Gray chastised Natsu for being an idiot.

Gray reactively formed ice over his own arms as protection.

_Why did they want their blood?_

“That will do, Duana,” the man stated, causing their attention to revert back to where the now three dark wizards were standing while the fourth still facing off against Erza. “Now go take out the little girl.”

“Yes, sir,” she obeyed again with her own look of bloodlust.

“Sky dragon: claw attack!” Wendy shouted, trying for surprise as her advantage since she was suddenly being singled out from the group.

Wendy managed to send the girl named Duana off her feet, but the other girl picked herself up immediately like the attack hadn’t even touched her. She then took out a key that looked a lot like Lucy’s, but it was black instead of gold and silver.

“Open: cage of the vulcan!” she shouted with an eager smile.

“Huh?” Wendy stood there watching as a vulcan suddenly appeared out of thin air, much like Lucy’s spirits usually did.

“I’m a beast tamer!” the girl announced triumphantly to Wendy.

“Wendy look out!” Carla warned, flying over to pick up the sky dragon slayer and take her out of the direct path of the creature.

The vulcan obligingly chased after Wendy as the tamer followed at a distance.

This left Gray, Natsu and Lucy to stand off against the remaining others.

“Blood magic: attack!” their leader said in a commanding voice.

“Blood magic? What the hell?” Gray asked in disgust.

Such a thing was a truly horrible form of dark magic. It let you control your opponents if you managed to get a sample of their blood which answered their previous question of why the hunters had needed their blood in the first place.

“NATSU!” Lucy shrieked in terror as she watched Natsu engulf his hands in flames.

“Get out of the way, Lucy! I can’t control it,” Natsu shouted in frustration, bringing his hands up into an offensive position against his own autonomy.

“I can’t move my legs!” Lucy cried, panicking from the fact that she was about to be hit by Natsu’s attack.

“I got you, Lucy!” Happy called out, flying over to lift her up and out of the way. “Wow, you’re even heavier than usual. I can’t lift you!” Happy complained.

“Shut up, cat! It’s the blood magic!” Lucy chastised despite her dire predicament.

“Lucy!” Gray called out, moving to go assist her before Natsu burned her to a crisp.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the cocky looking wizard sidetracked Gray in his task as he descended from his previous perch on the adjacent rocks.

He was now blocking Gray’s path to help Lucy.

“Mind magic: obey!” he shouted aggressively with his smile growing even wider now that he was a part of the fight.

Gray instantly felt his brain growing foggy and was getting a pounding headache.

“Hey man, get out of my head!” Gray yelled back.

Gray felt annoyed at how this guy was throwing off his focus, but Gray had enough discipline that the bastard couldn’t control him so easily.

“Obey me!” the dark wizard shouted louder.

Gray tried fighting against it again but felt as his thoughts finally gave way to the commanding voice.

“Be a good boy and stand there no matter what,” Gray heard the cocky voice command in his head.

Gray felt like his feet began melting into the ground even though he was just standing there normally. However, he knew that his feet wouldn’t move no matter how much his brain told them to.

“Duana!” Gray heard the same voice from his head call out loud.

Since the command had only been for his feet Gray could still move his head to look around at the others. This meant he saw when the petite wizard emerged back from the forest moments later to stand beside the crazed looking man who had Gray under his control.

“Won’t you be a dear and unleash _her_ on these lowly mages,” he said with something else terrifying in his eyes.

Gray took another moment to see that Lucy was now scorched and looking as if she was only barely hanging on to consciousness. Natsu looked angrier than Gray had ever seen him since Lucy was ultimately like this by his hand. Happy was now trying to pull Natsu out of place, but he wouldn’t budge either.

The clanging of armour also announced a floating Erza who was up in the air against her will.

“What the hell?” Gray exclaimed out loud, surprised to see their heavy hitter so out of control of her magic.

How was this guy using telekinetic power against Erza herself? It was as if she wasn’t in control of her actions, just like Gray, Natsu and Lucy. These hunters were truly terrifying since Fairy Tail was already under their mercy with Wendy still running from a vulcan that had appeared out of thin air. Gray shook his head in frustration at the thought that they were being beaten so easily.

“Open: Cage of the phoenix!” Duana shouted lifting what looked top be a copper key into the air.

Immediately, there was a sudden blaze in the sky that caused Gray to shield his eyes. When it died out a moment later Gray looked up to see some sort of large bird was floating in the air. But it wasn’t a bird, not really. It was a girl with large red feathers growing out of her skin.

“You summoned me?” the bird girl asked.

“What is that?” Gray heard Natsu ask, seething in his own anger.

“Eliminate them!” the mind controller shouted without any further explanation.

“Phoenix slayer: Solar flames!” the girl called out, raising her brightly coloured wings before bringing her attack down onto all six of them, including Happy and Carla.

Thankfully, Erza still had some control over her body unlike Gray, Lucy and Natsu. Erza was therefore able to block the bright attack of white flames, but only barely as she spun her body and deflected it with her sword. The rest of them weren’t so lucky as Gray and the others felt the concentrated flames engulf their bodies. Gray tried to use his ice magic against the intense heat but it melted instantly. He hoped that Natsu would be smart enough to eat the flames but it seemed even the fire breather was unable to eat this particular fire brand as he crumpled down and grimaced in pain like the others. When the flames stopped after what felt like an eternity later Gray heard Natsu call out furiously.

“Lucy!”

Gray managed to look over towards the fire dragon slayer to see that he was finally able to pry his feet from the ground. This was infuriating since Gray’s were still firmly planted but he watched as Natsu ran over to try and collect the now faint celestial wizard. Her feet were also free, but she had since collapsed to the ground.

“Phoenix slayer: Wing attack,” the bird girl called out her second attack, sending it towards Natsu to inhibit him from reaching Lucy.

“Wrong move, little birdy,” Natsu retorted as his evidently anger washed over him.

“I’ve got her, Natsu!” Happy cried out, somehow flying over to Lucy to try to wake her up despite his largely singed fur.

“Flame attack, that’s useless against a fire dragon slayer!” Natsu called out boastfully even though her first attack had landed on him.

Gray figured Natsu could adapt this time but watched as the flames hit Natsu again and somehow still burned his body. It left more gashes on his arms but only caused Natsu to get even angrier.

“What is this?!” he seethed.

“My flames are from the sun. Hotter than anything a dragon can produce,” she replied simply.

Unlike her other teammates though, it didn’t seem like she was gloating. This girl was really just answering Natsu’s question. This baffled Gray but he as too frustrated and exhausted to decide what it meant or who this girl was.

“You hurt Lucy!” Natsu screamed, aligning his arms for his next attack.

“Phoenix slayer: Shrieking cry!” she replied, not letting Natsu collect himself enough to form his offensive attack.

Gray covered his ears and fell to the ground as his entire being was rattled by her war cry. Unlike his former opponent, this was like the sound was breaking his brain instead of trying to manipulate his actions through thought.

Natsu’s acute senses took him even longer to recover as he was crumpled on the ground in agony with his hands covering his ears.

Before any of them could really recover the ground began to shake.

The lacrima they had come here to collect was elevated even higher and was now looking fairly unstable. Whatever type of magic had been protecting it was now unleashing its defense mechanism. The members of Crimson Blade reacted by surprisingly slinking back into the shadows of the forest while the girl with wings landed onto the ground looking up at it with a saddened expression.

“Go,” the leader ordered before he too fell back into the dense treeline.

Gray watched as the girl walked off towards the now unstable lacrima instead of fighting them any longer. They had wasted too much time fighting these hunters and now it looked like their objective was unraveling out of control.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” Gray shouted, watching the mysterious girl as she headed towards the lacrima, her skin further transforming into red and golden feathers.

She paused in hesitation before turning around to meet Gray’s eyes with a haunted look.

 _“I know that look,”_ Gray thought to himself worriedly.

He had seen it on his master’s face when Ur faced Deliora.

It also reminded him of the way he had felt when he faced Deliora with his teammates years later.

“You can’t sacrifice yourself!” Gray shouted knowingly.

“That’s my job,” the feathered girl replied simply.

“No person has the job to die!” Gray shouted again.

Despite the fact that this girl had just taken out almost all of his teammates he seethed in anger that she seemed to be readying herself for death. He watched as the resigned expression remained on the girl’s face before she turned back around and proceeded to walk further away from him.

“What’s wrong, Gray? Who is she?” Erza asked as she came to stand over him.

When Erza brought her hand down to help him up he finally realised that he could move his feet again. The mind controller’s spell had finally lifted. Gray still felt savagely beaten from the flame attack he endured but he pushed himself to be steady on his feet.

“She’s going to sacrifice herself,” Gray explained, feeling the turmoil rise up in him.

Erza gasped. “She can’t!”

Gray didn’t hesitate any longer after that and chased after the girl, ignoring his own pain and exhaustion. She wasn’t walking very fast but he could still see the determination in her steps. Gray caught up and reached out to grab her wrist.

She stopped. Gray could tell she was surprised.

“I can save everyone, let me go,” she said, trying to pull her hand back.

“I won’t let you go and die! We will get this thing without you risking your life,” Gray stated with conviction.

Gray could hear several other sets of footsteps behind them. He had trained enough with all of them to know it was Erza, Natsu, Lucy and Wendy. Happy and Carla were probably floating nearby. Wendy must have used her healing magic on Lucy to get her to stand.

“Is it true, Gray? Is this girl going to sacrifice herself?” Natsu asked in his edgy tone.

It was the same voice Natsu had used when he forbade Gray all those years ago from sacrificing his own life to Deliora.

“Why do you care? You all came to defeat my guild anyway,” the mystery girl asked in defiance.

But Gray could hear the confusion in her voice. She was starting to waver in her conviction.

“Being a wizard means standing up for what you believe in. It doesn’t just mean protecting your friends but living for them as well,” Gray explained, trying to do as Natsu did for him years before.

Gray knew that she was a part of a dark guild. But that still didn’t mean she should die. Plus, looking at her separate from her guildmates, Gray could tell there was something different about her. She was afraid.

But then it was like a mask covered her face as feathers grew into a beautiful frame around her eyes.

Gray could no longer tell her emotions. He could see her fear was only pushed down deeper and that this was the mask she used to show the world. And it wasn’t just the feathers. Gray was only too familiar with hiding how he truly felt in general.

She easily managed to free herself from his grasp before unfurling her wings again without another word. Gray noticed up close that her wings were a mixture of red, orange and gold that were quite beautiful. It was almost as if she was ablaze with Natsu’s flames, but instead it was the sunlight reflecting off of them.

She then took off, much like an exceed, and Gray was still shocked that this small mage had turned into some sort of majestic bird. They all watched as she flew at full speed towards the target and wrapped her whole body and wings around it. The brilliant light coming from the lacrima now grew brighter as it seeped out from the girl’s feathers.

“We have to help her!” Natsu screamed, readying himself to run at it.

But Erza grabbed the scruff of his shirt to stop him. It wasn’t a moment too soon before the lacrima shone even brighter and exploded from going unstable.

But the explosion that should have at the very least gravely injured all of them was contained by the girl’s body. After the explosion Gray looked up to watch as she fell from the skies. Her once beautiful feathers were singed and blackened. Her body was exposed, and she was crashing downward. Her wings were no longer intact and it looked as if she was unconscious.

Without thinking Gray bolted towards her falling form. He lifted his arms in front of himself and jumped into the air to catch her into his arms.

He didn’t even know her name but he still couldn’t help the tears of frustration escaping his eyes. He hadn’t been able to talk her down and now he was holding her corpse in his arms.

“I can’t hear her heartbeat!” Wendy shrieked.

Gray realized that everyone else had run over to him and the sky dragon slayer had her healing magic running over the girl’s body.

“That was an explosion like a Jupiter cannon. It would be unimaginable for someone as small as her to be able to survive that without any armour,” Erza said in sorrow.

Despite the terrifying battle or the crimes this girl had no doubt committed, Fairy Tail couldn’t sanction that her guild had made it her responsibility to willingly die. Lucy cried beside Natsu who clenched his fists in righteous anger.

Then the girl’s body let out a soft whimper.

Gray looked down quickly to see the girl starting to move in his arms.

“You did it, Wendy!” Natsu exclaimed proudly.

Gray looked over to see the younger girl shake her head.

“That wasn’t me. I can’t bring people back from the dead,” Wendy replied in a quivering voice.

“We must bring her back with the artefact,” Erza declared at once, grabbing the lacrima from the girl’s reforming grip and replaced it with a pair of magic-cancelling handcuffs.

Gray looked down in awe as the ashy feathers floated away and her body glowing in a golden light that faded as quickly as it started.

“We can put her in the cart,” Erza suggested but Gray shook his head and kept the girl in his arms.

She laid across them like a bride but Gray felt a sudden duty to keep her safe, whatever this girl was and however she had survived.

Erza accepted this with a single nod, wanting to lead them out of the forest before Crimson Blade regrouped and came back for their treasure and guildmate. Their master’s warning was still fresh in their mind and Erza was not wanting to face the hunter’s guild for a rematch like this.

The rest quickly followed. Wendy stayed by Gray’s side to make sure the girl was alright, but from what Wendy could tell the girl was regenerating at an unnerving speed and was just resting.

Gray couldn’t help but glance down from time to time. The girl seemed much smaller, a testament to her true size while she was like this as opposed to how she had first appeared out of that girl’s key.

Lucy was fretting over the girl as well. She couldn’t sense her as being a celestial spirit or anything else from a different world, but that didn’t deny her incredible transformative abilities. Natsu hadn’t decided yet if he trusted her, still too angry from the fight where he had been unwillingly pitted against Lucy. So instead Natsu kept a close eye on the celestial wizard who kept at Gray’s other side.

By the time the group resurfaced from the forest, the sun was setting in the afternoon sky. As soon as the sun hit the girl’s soft features, she stirred in Gray’s arms and looked up into his eyes.

“What are you?” Gray couldn’t help his immediate question, looking into her now lively eyes.

“I’m a phoenix,” she replied simply, as if that easily explained the situation and that she wasn’t necessarily fazed by her current predicament of being in a strange man’s arms.

“That can’t be,” Erza gasped in awe and disbelief, appearing in front of Gray now that the girl was awake and lucid.

“So, you’re some kind of bird?” Natsu added with no sense of tact.

“Natsu, shut up!” Lucy chastised him.

Despite the gravity of the situation and the fact that they had not yet secured their travel back to Magnolia, Fairy Tail didn’t miss the opportunity to break out into their typical squabbling banter. The girl who was restrained and still being held was at a loss for words so instead looked up at the boy in question quizzically.

“You know, you can let go now,” the mysterious girl said.

Gray hadn’t realised he was still holding her in his arms through his curiosity and disbelief that this girl was really alive and well.

“Right,” he replied awkwardly.

He felt uncomfortable now that this girl was back to normal. His duty to protect her was over so instead Gray helped her to stand as she gracefully stepped down onto the ground with soundless effort. This girl appeared as if nothing had happened. As if she hadn’t just been torn to pieces in the sky.

“Are you saying that you perform phoenix magic?” Erza asked as the girl brushed herself off and looked around as if to walk away.

The fact that she was wearing anti-magic cancelling handcuffs didn’t seem to sway against her decision.

“Yup. I’m a phoenix slayer,” she replied with a hint of pride in her voice.

But she continued to look around as if looking for her guildmates or a way out.

“A phoenix slayer?” Lucy continued quizzically.

Gray thought it was a safe bet to assume Erza was the only one there who had ever heard of such magic.

“Were you raised by a phoenix?” Wendy asked with piquing curiosity.

It seemed like maybe the others didn’t realise that this girl was looking to make a run for it. But Wendy’s comment seemed to stop her in her plan as Gray watched the girl’s eyes fall.

“Yes,” she replied with a deep sorrow before it was entirely erased from her face.

Again, the others seemed to miss the subtle cues that this girl was deeply conflicted or hurt over something.

“That’s so cool!” Natsu replied instead with his typical excitable voice.

“Really?” she asked, and now Gray could hear her scepticism.

It was strange though. It felt as if this girl was having some sort of internal battle with herself.

“Well, yeah! Natsu and I were raised by dragons. We’re both slayers, too!” Wendy added with her own excitement.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing. I always thought I was the only one who had ever been raised by something other than humans,” she said as if this new knowledge had a lot of weight behind it.

“So, I just have one question,” Erza cut in, her steely voice returning.

“Hmm?” the phoenix slayer asked, closing herself off again, preparing for whatever justice Erza would bring down.

But Gray and the others knew Erza better than that. Of course they were going to have to bring her back for the Magic Council to decide, but it wasn’t their place to judge this girl even though she had tried to take out Fairy Tail. It wasn’t like they didn’t have members from their own guild who had strayed from the light before and Gray had a feeling about this girl that was different from anyone else he had ever met.

“You mentioned it was your job to sacrifice yourself. Was that an order from your guild?” Erza asked severely.

“Erm—yea. But, it’s okay. I have a phoenix soul. I can just regenerate myself,” she explained like it was no big deal.

But Gray could still see the fear in her eyes.

“That is no excuse!” Gray exclaimed angrily before he could stop himself.

She whipped her head back around to look at the dark-haired boy again with a torn expression. If Gray didn’t know any better, he would have thought that this girl just fell in with the wrong crowd. It seemed that maybe she had been raised much like Natsu and the other dragon slayers. So what had happened for her to become a member of Crimson Blade?

“Guilds are family. Like I said before, we all live for each other. Of course, we are all willing to protect each other to the end but we would never let anyone lay down their lives while we stood idly by,” Gray stated, feeling his anger return.

Dark guild or not, how evil could one be to send a guildmate to their slaughter?

“That’s not how my guild operates,” she replied evenly.

A silence fell between them, creating a pause for Erza to go and retrieve the train tickets while they waited on the platform. The girl stood in the middle of the group, gazing down at the handcuffs with interest now instead of annoyance or anger. Gray wondered if she viewed them as a sort of freedom, a plausible excuse to leave the dark guild behind.

“What’s your name?” Gray finally asked, realising they still had not properly introduced themselves but had proceeded right on to taking the girl into custody instead; maybe not the first expression Gray himself wanted to make.

“My name is Osiris Larkin, but I go by Iris,” she finally answered after staring at each one of them intently.

Gray also thought to himself. “ _Man does she ever remind me of me when I found Fairy Tail_.”

But he guessed all of the others had joined in a similar boat. Natsu and Wendy had lost their parents, Erza had escaped from being a child slave and Lucy had also lost her mother and was estranged from her father when she joined. If this girl was a phoenix slayer, there was a good chance the phoenix who raised her was gone too.

“So, what do I call you all?” she asked after a short pause.

Lucy, always being the friendly face of the team, stepped forward and introduced herself first. Gray figured this was still a leap of faith on Lucy’s part since Lucy was the most beaten down out of all of them. “I’m Lucy Heartfilia. This nitwit over here is Natsu Dragneel.”

“Hey!” Natsu protested hotly but the others stepped forward before he could complain any further.

“I’m Wendy Marvell, and this is Carla and Happy!” the sky dragon slayer announced and timidly grinned despite the wary expression from Iris.

“Yes, we will have to see what the Magic Council decides for you,” Carla rebuked, causing Wendy to gasp and look embarrassed.

But in return Iris nodded and remained silent, it being clear that she still held her strong reservations against the group.

“I’m Erza Scarlett,” the requip mage also introduced herself in her usual formal tone once she returned promptly to the group.

“And what do I call _you_?” Iris asked, turning her attention to stare down Gray who had asked for her name in the first place.

“Gray. Gray Fullbuster,” he replied with his typical defensiveness masking his voice from his unexpected interest.

Erza rounded them up a moment later to lead them to a train that was stationed and getting ready to head back to Magnolia. Thankfully, they were able to make a prompt exit from Destrian Forest without being immediately pursued by Crimson Blade. With both Iris and the artefact in their custody, the hunter’s guild would no doubt already be tracking them.

Erza entered the train first, stopping to make sure everyone else followed. Unsurprisingly, Natsu was hesitant and had to be dragged to their seats by Lucy. Gray came up behind Iris, watching for her to make a move but she never did. He was wholly surprised she hadn’t made her move yet when she so obviously looked as if she was only humouring them as playing captive. Gray had no doubt this girl didn’t need magic to effectively get away.

“So, do you just trust that your enemy who single-handedly incapacitated your entire group doesn’t turn on you?” Iris asked like she was judging their tenuous decision to bring her back to Magnolia like this, obviously baiting the group in whatever she was scheming. 

“Well, are you going to attack us?” Gray turned the question back onto her bluntly. He wanted to play her game, but on his terms instead

He didn’t know why he was so drawn to this girl, other than the fact that she had come back to life in his arms.

Gray watched as she surprisingly smirked and shook her head. “No.”

They settled into their seats then, both Gray and Iris sitting opposite each other by the window. Lucy sat beside Iris with Erza at the end of their bench. Natsu unfortunately deposited himself beside Gray and already crumpled into his lap, much to the embarrassment and annoyance of Gray.

The train started a moment later and of course Natsu turned into a puddle of motion sickness with Wendy on his other side stating that she could not cast the Troia spell on him this time.

“Does he always do that?” Iris asked when the train pulled out of the station, looking almost revolted by Natsu’s level of incapacitation.

“Ha-ha, yea,” Gray replied, finding it amusing at how Iris was looking at Natsu like he was being ridiculous; a sentiment Gray wholly agreed with.

“He shouldn’t display his weakness so blatantly,” Iris commented.

“You hear that, I’m not the only one who thinks you losing it on moving vehicles is nonsense,” Gray exclaimed but Natsu ignored him.

“I don’t think Natsu can really help it,” Lucy came to his aid but Iris continued to stare at Natsu with judgement.

“Anyone can hide their weakness, he just doesn’t have the will to work on it,” Iris shrugged indifferently.

“Iris seems kind of harsh, don’t you think?” Wendy whispered into Lucy’s ear, trying to be tactful in her assessment.

“I don’t mean to be insulting, I’m just stating what I know to be true. If Natsu’s enemies find out about this weakness then they will use it against him. Also, if you want to state your opinion about me without me hearing it you should be at least thirty feet away from me,” Iris stated plainly.

Everyone else blanched while Wendy blushed profusely.

“Your powers are quite impressive, Iris,” Erza stated, somehow realising that Iris wasn’t meaning to make everyone feel wholly uncomfortable.

“It’s all because my father taught me so well,” Iris replied.

Gray realised that Iris sounded softer when she brought up her father. He guessed he and the others were similar about those who had raised them as well. Gray knew he had a soft spot in his heart for Ur who admittedly raised him after his parents were killed.

“So Iris, have you ever been to Magnolia?” Lucy asked, sounding as chipper as always and trying to change the subject into more neutral territory.

Gray smiled, feeling grateful for how forgiving Fairy Tail always was to those who sought after a second chance.

“Is it still standing?” Iris asked bluntly.

“Erm—yes,” Lucy answered feeling off-guard again by Iris’s cryptic answer.

“Then no, I haven’t been there before,” Iris replied evenly.

To most people Iris’s blunt nature must be off-putting, especially when she implied about her gruesome past. But Gray found it reassuring for her level of honesty. It seemed that she maybe hadn’t had the chance to talk to people other than those who took advantage of her rare ability to regenerate.

“What was your father like?” Wendy asked, still blushing from being previously overheard but trying to change the conversation yet again since Iris seemed to have a knack for turning the conversation dark.

More surprising was how Iris’ defenses cracked again when she offered another honest answer, but this time with a more positive response. “He was incredible. He changed his entire life just to take me in. We lived deep in a forest where he taught me how to read and write and perform magic. He would tell me stories and we trained hard every day. I was raised to be the proud daughter of a phoenix.”

“That sounds amazing! My mother’s name was Grandeeney and she raised me from infancy as well. I miss her a lot,” Wendy responded more boldly than Gray or the others had been expecting.

Gray could tell Iris was intrigued to hear about Wendy’s dragon mother as the two talked more for the rest of the trip under the watchful gaze of Erza before Wendy dozed off. Gray nodded off himself before being awoken sometime later by a bump in the tracks. He looked around and noticed his teammates were all sleeping since it was dark outside and Iris was now tied to Erza by some sort of rope no doubt Erza had stashed away in her parallel storage unit. However, Iris was sitting looking out the window as if she wasn’t even tired. Gray figured she must be exhausted though after the day’s events, even if she weren’t necessarily human.

“You’re not sleeping?” Gray asked.

He had expected Iris to startle at the sudden sound of his voice but she only turned like she already knew he was awake. He realised she must have been able to hear him with his movements like she was able to hear Wendy’s soft whispers from before.

“You all let your guard down very easily,” Iris replied in a condescending statement.

“We’re on a train that Erza already cleared and we would wake up before anything happened to us if trouble did start up,” Gray reasoned defensively.

Gray ended up being surprised again when Iris broke her neutral expression and smirked back at him.

“Not if it was me attacking.”

“You already told me you wouldn’t attack,” Gray reacted easily, somehow already leaning towards trusting this practical stranger.

“What if I lied?” she looked at him deadpan.

“But you didn’t” he said resolutely.

She continued to stare at him before she let a small grin spread across her face.

“You can sleep. I’ll keep watch for now,” Gray offered.

“And how do I know you won’t take advantage of me with my guard down?” Iris asked.

“I’m not that type of guy! If I’m going to fight you then it’ll be a fair fight. And I’m not a fucking pervert,” Gray shouted defensively, but at a muted volume since he didn’t want to wake the others.

Iris smirked again and Gray realised she was baiting him to try and rile him up.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Iris warned before she closed her eyes. “I’ll know if you did.”

Gray nodded even though she couldn’t see him and continued to stare at the new girl with interest. He had never met anyone who seemed to be as guarded as he was and met him straight on with his own direct comments. He thought of all the other girls he knew and how they were different from him, and how he always reacted accordingly to social dictation. Wendy was like his little sister who he tried to protect while Lucy was the loud worrying type. Gray knew how to reassure Lucy so that she remained cheerful while Erza was another personality altogether where Gray put all his energy into staying on her good side. Then there was Juvia, who was also direct but in a completely different way. She was always confessing her love and following him around to an annoying degree. For his own personal space he tried his damnedest to keep as much physical space as possible between him and the water maiden.

He cared for all the girls in the guild, but he had an automated setting for how to communicate with each of them. It was his way of putting up a barrier between himself and everyone else. But Iris seemed to cut through all of it which made him feel uneasy. How should he react to this girl if she wasn’t going to let him put up a barrier between them?

True to his word he stayed awake and watched the first peak of sunlight come up over the horizon two hours later. The first light also awoke Iris and Gray frowned that she hadn’t gotten more sleep than that.

“I get energy from the sun, so I hardly ever sleep during the day,” she replied like he had asked his question out loud. “You can catch some more sleep if you want.”

Gray stared at her before nodding, feeling that he was still tired from waking up so early.

“Thanks,” Gray reopened his eyes after closing them at the unexpected sound of Iris’s voice. Gray met her gaze and saw that she was being sincere.

“Anytime. I’ll watch your back from now on,” Gray stated before closing his eyes again.

He missed the shocked expression on Iris’s face before she quickly neutralised it and peered back out the window until she saw buildings indicating the outskirts of Magnolia. Iris stood up which woke up most of the others while Natsu still remained passed out across Lucy’s lap. Erza gently shook Wendy to stir her while Lucy heaved Natsu’s limp body off of her once the train started to slow.

Shaking her head in mild disgust, Iris stepped forward and easily lifted Natsu by the arm before she wrapped it over her shoulder and dragged him out like he weighed hardly anything. Erza had removed the rope but kept on the magic cancelling cuffs. It seemed though that Iris had enough strength to easily pull Natsu off of the train while the rest stared after her before following a moment later.

“Iris is so strong!” Wendy sounded awestruck.

“I’m supposed to have your back now, right? It’s nothing really to carry Natsu while he is so weak,” Iris replied to the rest of them over her shoulder.

Erza startled at this and turned to look at Gray who was beside her. She had known the ice-maker mage had talked to their captive in the middle of the night but hadn’t expected him to get through to the phoenix slayer so easily. Despite her still being their prisoner, Iris seemed willing enough to go along with their plan and even oblige them by helping them out. The requip mage held off on her judgement of the girl for the time being but felt that maybe Fairy Tail could offer her a second chance if the Magic Council decided to give her leniency.

Lucy and Wendy followed Iris looking wholly impressed that she wasn’t breaking a sweat lugging Natsu through the train car. Happy looked relieved as well at not having to carry Natsu for once while Carla looked unimpressed as always. This left Gray feeling unsettled that Iris had turned his words back onto Gray and his team.

“Natsu, get a hold of yourself you idiot! Don’t make Iris carry you all the way back to the guildhall!” Gray reprimanded him once Iris had him out on the platform.

“Five more minutes… smells so good,” Natsu mumbled as if he was still dreaming.

Iris kept his arm around her shoulder but Gray was thoroughly annoyed by this point so he pulled at Natsu until he was extracted from Iris’s hold. Gray then shoved him to the ground which jolted Natsu awake.

“Hey, what’d you do that for? I was dreaming!” Natsu complained.

“Natsu, it’s not Iris’s job to carry you while you keep sleeping,” Erza reprimanded him more gently than Gray’s wake-up call.

“Wait—Iris was carrying me?” Natsu asked while he pieced together what had just happened.

Gray watched Natsu don a rare blush which only infuriated him even more. In response, Gray charged further to attack Natsu before Iris spoke first.

“It’s not a big deal,” she shrugged, turning to let Wendy and Lucy lead her towards the guild.

“Knock that stupid look off of your face, you pervert,” Gray snarled at Natsu as the two boys fell into step behind the group.

“What are you talking about, I’m not a pervert. And what do you care ice princess, I was still dreaming while Iris was carrying me,” Natsu explained.

“Yea, well you shouldn’t be making girls carry you,” Gray replied evenly.

Natsu snarled indignantly back but didn’t retort another point. Instead both boys brooded down the familiar streets back to their guildhall. It was mid-morning by this point and they figured most people would be in the guildhall by this time.

xx

“Is that it?” I asked, finally noticing the shabby looking windmill ahead of us.

Wendy smiled back at me before taking my hand to pull me at a running pace towards it. Feeling her holding my hand and giggling down the street made me feel strange, especially when I hadn’t gotten the feeling that the young girl had gotten over her initial fear of me. I couldn’t understand why any of these wizards were leading me straight to their guild even if I knew a conviction awaited me. The penalty for leaving Crimson Blade was certain death, most likely at the hands of the guild master, Raiden, which was no clean or dignified way to die. So even though I had been Crimson Blade’s trump card for the past ten years this was a mercy I didn’t understand or think I deserved.

“Who’s your new friend, Wendy?” one man smoking a cigar asked us once we entered as he and his friend eyed me with interest.

The magic cancelling cuffs weren’t immediately noticeable despite their lingering gazes and no one else acted appropriately towards me either. I couldn’t help thinking that if I had my magic and Raiden’s orders whispering in my ears that Fairy Tail would already be a crumbling heap of ashes.

“This is Iris!” Wendy replied easily before leading me further into the guild.

“We’re home!” Natsu shouted behind us, causing me to turn around and watch him and the others be greeted by their guildmates.

“Home?” I whispered out loud to myself, not being able to stifle my awe.

“Well hello there, and who might you be?” the woman from behind the bar asked with a sweet and welcoming smile.

I felt uncomfortable that everyone was still looking at me and treating me as if I wasn’t a hunter. Everyone I had met in the past decade had all been terrified for their lives when they looked upon me, and they had every right to be.

“I’m a member of Crimson Blade,” I replied honestly, since it was still the truth despite the fact that I had recently betrayed them by being captured. I also just wanted to get it over with instead of having to try and figure out this new social situation. I mean how on Earthland was a murderer supposed to talk with the heroes as if they were on equal footing?

Unsurprisingly, this had the typical effect and the entire guildhall fell silent. The barkeep who had asked me who I was now had her hands in front of her mouth in shock. Her eyes also glanced down and were now fixated on my left thigh. Just under the hem of my skirt you could see the blood red emblem of a knife through a bloodied heart, the marking of Crimson Blade. I could feel everyone else’s eyes on me with fear and scrutiny before I heard the charged silence broken by someone’s questioning grunt.

“Erza?” a booming voice from behind me called out before they descended the stairs into the room.

I was surprised when I turned around to find out that such a presence was commanded by a such a small man.

“Yes, Master?” Erza replied respectfully.

So this was the renowned Master Makarov of the Fairy Tail guild? Even us forest dwellers had heard of such a man, and again his image didn’t match up to what I had expected upon seeing him.

“Did you find the artefact?” he asked, not paying me any mind despite everyone else’s stares and the fact that I had been brought here as a prisoner.

“Yes, Iris retrieved it for us,” Erza replied before turning her attention towards me.

“Am I to assume you are Crimson Blade’s dragon slayer then?” the master asked me, finally acknowledging my presence in his guildhall.

“Erm—no sir. Crimson Blades doesn’t have a dragon slayer,” I answered, somewhat surprised that this was his first question.

“Hm,” was his only response.

“Go on, Iris, don’t be modest!” Natsu said excitedly which did not at all match the tone of the rest of the guild.

Again, were these people insane? Was it already forgotten how I single-handedly tried to take out this group before I was called away to sacrifice myself for my guild— my old guild? What did it matter what magic I had when I had used it to slaughter so many people over the last decade. What did it matter when the proud phoenix slayer had used her given powers for evil and hadn’t even tried to escape?

“She’s a phoenix slayer, Gramps,” Gray responded for me but matched his tone so it more appropriately reflected the overall mood.

“Oh?” the master replied with more interest in his continued one syllabic answers and a surprising grin spread across his face.

“Iris, was it? May I have a word in my office?” the master asked.

I nodded, knowing I didn’t have much of a choice being their prisoner before I followed him up the stairs while everyone else continued to watch. I couldn’t help comparing this guildhall to the one tucked into the mountains where Crimson Blade evaded all Council justice. Where I had once slept on a mat in a stone-cased room no bigger than a ‘birdcage’ as Duana had loved to call it, I had still gotten one of the only rooms with a window since it allowed me to restore my powers from the sun. Raiden liked to make sure I was always energised to go make the world burn.

Fairy Tail however was one big mess-hall, one that invited everyone to eat, drink and socialise with each other. Sunlight rained in from several large windows and it was obvious the guild met here daily unless they were away on business. The only socialisation I had experienced in Crimson Blade was training and the constant provoking from Duana and Cica since boredom was a constant ailment inside the silent stone walls we lived in.

Once I was seated across from Master Makarov in his homely office he stared at me as if surmising his own judgement. I knew in any eyes of the law I was guilty so I couldn’t get a read for the hesitation on his face other than it was misplaced.

I continued watching until the master finally broke his scrutinising silence. “We forgive each other of our trespasses child, and we are made stronger for it.”

I looked up at him in shock, not coming up with an immediate response for him.

“Who is Master Raiden to you?” Makarov continued, drawing out uncomfortable thoughts I had never allowed myself to contemplate before.

It was several silent minutes before I came to my most honest answer.

“The man who kidnapped me.”

Makarov’s frown deepened again and I was left to drown in my shock of being treated as a human and not some deadly beast. It was a shocking revelation to make in the silence of a cozy looking bureau that something I had really been missing for all these years was _humanity._

“I am sorry to hear that child. No one should be forcibly taken from their family, especially to then be put into a dark guild.”

It wasn’t until he offered me a tissue that I realised silent tears had started to fall down my face. Sadness was not something I had afforded myself to feel ever since Raiden started using me as his sacrificial lamb. Now it was kindness that called forth an overwhelming sadness that I wouldn’t allow to completely show since I felt wholly unnatural and threatened in such a friendly place.

“I will tell you that I have dispatched the Magic Council since Crimson Blade continues to be a top priority of theirs. There is a life sentence attached with any of their members—” I nodded, not expecting his pause to mean anything other than the end to his sentence. “But since Erza sent a letter ahead informing me that they were bringing a prisoner from Crimson Blade, I was informed by her to consider advocating for your pardon and to extend an invitation for your admittance into my guild.”

I steeled my expression, halting the tears as if they had never appeared in the first place. I was an expert at neutral expressions, knowing surprise was a weakness I could never afford to show.

“Fairy Tail has no use for such a person,” I replied again.

“I am afraid I was not informed of your powers specifically, only that you have enough of it to take out my strongest team and that you call yourself a phoenix slayer. I have many slayers in my guild but none of them have replicated powers so I can only assume yours are unique to your own talent,” Makarov answered, sounding as if he commanded the same level of respect as Raiden but by entirely different means.

Whereas Raiden was aggressive, cunning, and deadly, Makarov appeared as understanding, patient, and generous.

I couldn’t help but giving him my full honest response. “My father died the day I was taken by Raiden’s men but not before my father gave me his soul so that I can regenerate myself from death. That’s why I am— _was_ prized by my guild. But I can also use solar magic and other phoenix powers. My cries are loud enough to disorient my enemies and my wings can absorb most magical attacks.”

I watched the master nod along, taking in the information without giving away his entire reaction. He was skilled like me, hiding his reactions behind a neutral expression.

“I thank-you for retrieving the artefact from Destrian Forest but hate to think of what it cost you to get here. Here at Fairy Tail we never ask for others to lay down their lives for us. Instead we fight proudly alongside one another to give each other the strength to live. I am confident that you will find a place here once the Council comes to their decision since I cannot ignore a child who still has fight against the darkness. I also have my own selfish reasons, especially since your type of rare power will be a great asset to Fairy Tail for becoming the number one guild in Fiore!” Makarov boasted at that last bit before standing to come around his desk.

I didn’t miss the specific use of words he chose that gave his confidence level to how he thought I would be exonerated. But I knew there would still be a steep price for that level of freedom.

“What will I have to do to be exonerated?” I asked, earning a knowing smirk from the guild master.

“You’re a sharp one, more than I can say for half of my children downstairs,” he rolled his eyes but I steeled myself at his use of the word children.

Raiden didn’t even consider Cica like a child, barely acknowledging their familial ties at all.

“I am afraid that the Magic Council will not accept anything less than every detail you have about Crimson Blade and the assurance that the Council can come up with a plan to defeat them,” Makarov turned serious, gauging for my reaction hidden behind the numbness I used to hide behind.

It wasn’t a surprising answer. It made a lit of sense in the world of good and justice for my life to possibly be weighed against those of the five other main members of my old guild plus all their dispensable lackies.

I nodded, more in understanding than acceptance, before Makarov left me sitting in the chair I had taken the moment I entered his office. He announced that I could stay there for privacy reasons while he went to wait for the Council delegate downstairs.

I was so lost in thought while I waited, paying no attention to the shouts I could hear from down in the main hall and what sounded an awful lot like Natsu and Gray arguing against their master and Erza that I was being held as an informal prisoner for the time being.


	2. Letting Your Guard Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris is accepted into Fairy Tail but finds it difficult to get accustomed to such a guild. She accepts a new proposition from the guild's master and finds herself being swept up in the business of her new friends.

“Go find Mira at the bar, Iris, she’ll be able to take that forsaken mark off of you and give you a new one for Fairy Tail,” Makarov said softly beside me where he came to stand after I had been in the same chair all afternoon and well into the late evening.

I had been interrogated for hours on end once the representative from the Magic Council arrived, so now all I felt that was left of me was the vague memories of my time growing up as a phoenix slayer and all the weighted guilt of being an exonerated murderer. I had very mixed feelings with the request Makarov was asking of me now, even if it was some sort of peace offering.

I had no love loss for Raiden or the others, but these people were so easily trusting whereas I hadn’t trusted anyone since Xavierus died.

When I finally got to my feet and followed Makarov out of his office to be led downstairs to the bar where the woman who I had startled before, Mira, returned a small smile this time after the master quickly explained my new situation.

“I’m sorry about before,” Mira said while she looked at me with warmth instead of fear.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t expecting a different response,” I shrugged indifferently, feeling less welcome here now than I had arriving as Fairy Tail’s prisoner.

Mira seemed to be an overly friendly bar-maiden who was probably some sort of receptionist for this guild, given her authority over the guild sigil and overly friendly manner. She came around the bar in her pink and red dress that looked like it would be inhibiting in a fight and looked down at my emblem again with a frown.

“This might sting a bit, so I apologise,” she cautioned before pulling out a small vile from her pocket.

“What’s that for?” Gray asked suddenly from beside me took a seat up at the bar.

“It’s a potion that takes magical marks off of people’s bodies. It’s the only way we can take Iris’ old mark off,” Mira explained gently. “Are you ready?”

I nodded.

She poured the liquid carefully onto a cloth before bringing it down to wipe over my leg. I clenched my fists when the liquid felt like acid was cleansing my body of the torn and bloody heart. I didn’t let myself cry out or whimper since I didn’t want to seem weak or have the others think I would miss my old guild. I was surprised though when I felt a hand clasp over my fist. I opened my eyes to see Gray’s hand folded over mine but didn’t say a word. There were too many emotions flying through my mind to comprehend the situation; the first and foremost that I was finally shedding my identity as a dark wizard and being accepted by those who had done nothing but fight for the good all their lives. It made me feel like an imposter, but I also couldn’t deny my selfish wanting for a life that Xavierus had intended.

“So where do you want your new one?” Mira asked, now holding up a stamp.

“Same place I guess. It’s where I’m used to having it,” I replied evenly without the strain I could feel in my throat.

Mira smiled before she brought the stamp down to my leg and pressed down. When she lifted it up I could see my new orange-coloured mark for Fairy Tail.

“It’s official, you’re one of us,” Gray exclaimed, having since let go of my hand.

I looked over to him to nod my tentative acceptance only to see that there was now a blue haired woman sitting on Gray’s other side. Her expression was unsettling since she looked at me as if I were an immediate a threat.

“Are you Gray’s girlfriend?” I asked, wanting to placate the new girl to avoid making any more immediate wrong impressions.

I felt my recent past was enough to go up against without making it more difficult.

“Wait, what?” Gray shouted, looking perplexed by my comment while I watched the girl latch onto him with heart-shaped eyes.

I felt like I wasn’t getting the whole story with those two but shrugged it off. Their obvious display of affection was foreign to me and something I felt I didn’t need to witness, so I got up to look around instead before spotting Wendy waving me over to the table where she was sitting with Natsu, Lucy, Carla and Happy.

“I knew Gramps would let you in!” Natsu exclaimed proudly when I came over to join them.

I managed a small smile, feeling more comfortable around them than everyone else who I could still feel were glancing over at me suspiciously. The late hour didn’t really seem to affect them either, but maybe they had wanted to wait for my interrogation to be over as well.

“I don’t know if everyone else wants me here though,” I admitted.

“Don’t worry, I felt the same way when I first arrived. I thought I was too weak to become a Fairy Tail wizard,” Wendy confided.

“I don’t really think that’s the same thing,” I responded, knowing that Wendy’s insecurities didn’t measure up to my past.

“Don’t worry about it, Iris, we all have a past. I’m sure you’ll slowly hear everyone’s stories but trust me, everyone has darkness in their history somewhere. Plus, with that mark you’re family now. Everyone here will accept you no problem!” Lucy said reassuringly.

I looked around the table, trying to figure out how they truly felt about me and was perplexed when I sensed that they were telling the truth. These people were truly too trusting for their own good.

**

Later that night, Erza and Wendy took me to get settled into my new room in Fairy Hills, the girl’s dormitory owned by Fairy Tail. It was a modest room with only a made up bed with beige sheets and gray curtains hanging around the window. Apparently the dorms were equipped with a communal bathroom which was something I was used to at Crimson Blade, and it was a relief here at least that it was only females in the dorm.

After the girls bid me a good night, I tiptoed my way down the hallways until I found the shower room vacant. It had been such a bizarre day, but unfortunately not the most jarring I had ever experienced. The last decade had not been kind and had turned me into just as cruel a person as Raiden had intended. The wizards of Fairy Tail would be wise to be weary of me, especially since I knew there was no way the Council would find Raiden and that it would only be a matter of time before my old guild would come to claim what was rightfully theirs. I hadn’t been my own person in a very long time. I let the hot water wash over me, somewhat surprised to see the new sigil remain on my skin without any traces of my guild mark return.

By the time I made my way back to my new dorm, it was the middle of the night but I couldn’t bring myself to test out the new bed. Instead, I opened the window on the other side of the room and climbed outside, using my wings to carry me up so that I as sitting on the roof. The view was of the entire town which I used to scout like I was waiting for someone to come and take me in the middle of the night. I felt more like a captured prisoner than any welcomed guest and knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight without someone looking over me. Looking out into the distance I wondered just how I was supposed to accept this new life when all I knew was how to die for the side of evil.

**

As the week wore on, I started to get to know everyone but could tell people still put their guards up around me. I met their hesitation with my own indifference but couldn’t quite manage to shake Natsu and the others who seemed to have indoctrinated me into their formed group. Begrudgingly, I also became interested in the fact that Natsu, Wendy and Gajeel were all dragon slayers, similar enough to my own upbringing seeing as both dragons and phoenixes were now extinct. I had no idea such a thing existed before coming here.

“So, Igneel and Grandeeney just found both of you strolling in the woods and chose to raise you?” I asked one afternoon as we all sat around a booth.

“Well, when you put it like that it does sound strange, but it’s the truth. We were both too young to remember our biological families,” Wendy said.

“That’s still interesting. Xavierus said he found me as a baby. My parents must have been poor or something and left me to die from exposure,” I explained.

“I like this girl, she doesn’t sugar coat anything,” Gajeel, the self-proclaimed iron-dragon slayer, announced heartily.

“Sugar coating doesn’t protect anyone and only wastes time,” I replied back but noticed that those around me looked uncomfortable with Wendy holding her hands up to her mouth in shock while even Natsu looked mildly shaken.

“It’s not a bad thing though what I said about my past. Xavierus is my father, it’s what the goddesses intended. I was lucky to have been taken in by him and raised to be his daughter,” I explained proudly, my father the only thing I was really comfortable talking about without repercussion.

It seemed to be the best topic of conversation to try and acclimate into this new group of wizards who seemed to operate much differently than Crimson Blade.

“Yea, Metalicana was the only father I ever knew. Screw anyone else who thinks they’re my parents,” Gajeel agreed again with a degree of brashness I could understand but again it didn’t seem that others appreciated it in the same way.

I tuned back into the conversations around me when Natsu and Gajeel fell into some sort of well rehearsed argument that seemed to be their norm. Poor Wendy tried to play peacemaker between them but I figured that was more out of self-preservation than anything else, and I didn’t think it was worth it to intervene.

Instead I listened for the hushed whispers around the guild that seemed to be a constant ever since I arrived. For a guild who had several members with heightened hearing, it didn’t seem like they cared too much about stifling their blatant curiosity and judgement.

***

“So, it’s true then? Iris was raised by a phoenix?” Mira asked amongst another group who sat up at the bar and stared at the newest member of Fairy Tail.

“Yes, her adopted father raised her from infancy. It’s truly incredible what her powers can do,” Erza replied in earnest.

The fiery redhead had been quite impressed by the phoenix slayer’s abilities while it also pained her to think that Iris had been Crimson Blade’s prisoner for so long without anyone else coming along to show her that the rest of the world was truly a kinder place.

*

“Do you trust her, Master?” Macao asked, the dutifully lazy has-been of the guild who often spent his days drinking and eating with his best friend Wakaba, rather than taking jobs.

He was sitting on the other side of Erza and interested in the new girl he saw as an added beauty to the guild but still couldn’t shake all his prejudice for her not-so-humble beginnings.

*

Gray scowled amongst them. It wasn’t the first time Fairy Tail had taken someone in who had a less than clean past. He had seen it for himself, Iris never believed in the teachings of Crimson Blade. She was ultimately kidnapped as their prisoner so that they could use her as a personal shield. It was truly despicable.

*

“Yes, I do, and that should be enough for the rest of you. Get to know her, she’s a part of this family now,” Master replied firmly.

*

The others nodded and continued to stare at her as an oddity. No one could refute her magic power; they could all sense it off her like crashing waves. They felt at the very least that her magic power alone gave them reason to feel cautious allowing her into the guild when she just came from one of the most secretive of dark guilds in Fiore.

But that wasn’t enough justification for Gray who decidedly got up from his seat at the bar to head towards the table where the slayers were assembled. He sensed Erza get up to follow him as the two of them made their way over. Gray pulled up a chair at the end while Wendy made room for Erza to sit on the end of the bench she was sitting on.

“Is your new room to your liking?” Erza broke through the ongoing argument between Natsu and Gajeel, earning her an immediate quiet that even Iris seemed to find impressive.

*

“Well, it is better than living in a cage,” I replied deadpan.

Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla gasped while Natsu, Happy, Gajeel and Gray looked on awkwardly; this particular response was getting annoying. Surely a guild of their stature wasn’t so squeamish to hear of such things.

“I didn’t actually _live_ in Duana’s cage, you know,” I decided to indulge them a little if I was going to make a better impression. “Master Raiden just liked to keep me as a trump card in battle. If I stayed hidden in Duana’s cage then I wouldn’t lose any magic power until I was summoned. Although, sometimes she would forget me in there on purpose.”

I watched as Gray tightened his hand into a fist, same as Natsu who banged his own fist onto the table rather flagrantly.

“We’ll get payback, Iris. No one should ever get away with treating a guildmate like that. And now that you’re a part of Fairy Tail, there’s no way we will let them get away with it!” Natsu said with conviction radiating through his voice.

I felt strange again that these people were so emotional about something that didn’t directly affect them.

“So, what was it like living with those guys?” Natsu asked more curiously.

I didn’t mind his question but the others seemed to disagree and reprimanded him for being rude.

“That’s how you’re going to trust me if I tell you about myself right? You have no reason to trust me if I’m a dark wizard who just enters your guild without admitting I was wrong,” I stated and again watched as everyone around the table went speechless. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Everyone remained quiet until Lucy surprisingly broke the silence first.

“How long were you with Crimson Blade?’

“I’ve been with them for ten years,” I answered without any emotion to give away any of my past.

“What are everyone’s powers?” Gajeel was next to ask and I wondered not for the first time what his origin story was after being raised by his dragon guardian.

“Raiden is our guild master and uses nightmare magic. He can enter your mind to manifest your worst fears in front of you,” I replied. “Blagden is second in command who uses blood magic.”

Natsu cracked his knuckles in anger. “I’m out for revenge for what he made me do to Lucy!”

His outbursts seemed to be a common occurrence so I just continued without commenting that I didn’t think a hothead like Natsu would make it out alive if he faced any of Crimson Blade, especially Blagden who had proven himself the first time.

“The blood tie does only last five minutes, but he’s used it before to wipe out entire villages. He just collects the blood of several people and has them kill themselves and their families. Next is Adelram; he’s the strong one. He’s always sent ahead before the rest of us arrive since uses telekinetic magic which allows him to pick up any non-living thing with his mind. He usually picks up heavy things to crush people, but he sometimes uses the clothes and weapons on a person to pick them up and fling them off of things.”

“That’s how he used my armour against me? Interesting…” Erza interrupted in a pondering tone that again I chose not to indulge.

“Duana is the other woman you fought; she uses trapping magic. She can trap any animal that isn’t human. Even those with animal properties,” I couldn’t help the weak grimace that shook unconsciously through my body then and noticed that Gray seemed to be the only one to catch it but didn’t say anything.

Instead, he looked as if he shuddered as well trying to think about the treatment I had undergone at the hands of my old guild.

“That’s what that tugging sensation was,” Wendy muttered and caught everyone else’s attention while I stared on at Gray before continuing with my explanation.

“And that just leaves Cica,” I continued.

“That scum who puts thoughts into your head?” Gray asked with a scowl I thought was more appropriate than all the other reactions.

“Yea. He can implant his own thoughts which can manipulate the actions of those with weaker minds. He can also overload your senses to distract you and then take advantage to cut you down.”

“So what was that lacrima even for?” Lucy asked.

Again, this was an intuitive question that I was surprised I hadn’t been asked sooner outside of the Magic Council and the guild master.

“Raiden wanted it to increase his magic power. Apparently it’s a lacrima formed by the shadows of the forest that happens every so often in ancient woods like Destrian Forest,” I replied with a shrug.

Everyone seemed to chew over this new information so I decided to prod for my own intel.

“I have a question if you don’ mind. Is it true that you all just got back after disappearing for seven years?”

I had heard this through the whispers at Crimson Blade who made it their business to keep track of the outside while remaining elusive to it.

“Yea, but we’re back now. We just have to figure out how to get back to being number one in Fiore again,” Natsu answered enthusiastically.

“What number are you now?” I asked curiously, remembering that Master had mentioned something similar.

Everyone frowned again.

“Dead last.”

***

I heard a knock early the next morning from the other side of my bedroom door. Turning my head from looking out the window, I tried to gauge who it would most likely be. They didn’t wake me since I had woken with the sun as usual so I found no reason to ignore it and went to open the door to find Juvia standing on the other side looking quite unsure of herself.

“Hi, Juvia,” I greeted her plainly, already having an idea of what this was possibly about.

“Is it true Gray caught you out of the air?’ she asked bluntly, hitting my assumption right on the head.

I surveyed her for any other hints for her motives and noticed that she was honing a mixture of jealousy, embarrassment and annoyance. It baffled me how somehow my few conversations with Gray had become some sort of sore spot, but maybe it had more to do with the fact that I was an acquitted hunter than anything else.

“Yes, but I was dead so I don’t remember much of it,” I replied.

Her mixture of expressions deadpanned at my response and instead she now looked awkward and anxious.

“So it’s true you can regenerate?” Juvia asked more timidly this time.

“Yes, I have a phoenix soul inside of me. It was my father’s.”

This conversation seemed to be more of an interrogation but I felt it wasn’t anything unusual. I just hoped I wouldn’t be hounded so early in the morning everyday so hopefully Juvia asked all of her pressing questions in one go. But before she could continue, someone else appeared behind the bluenette as another early riser.

“Good morning, ladies!” Erza approached us from down the hall after she closed her own door.

“Good morning, Erza. Are you done asking me questions Juvia?” I asked, wanting to make sure I didn’t leave her behind if she wasn’t finished.

Juvia seemed perplexed by this but Erza continued to watch carefully between us like she was trying to figure something out. After several moments Juvia shook her head.

I nodded in response before closing my own door and decided to head down to the guild for some breakfast since that seemed to be where Erza was headed.

After only a week I still hadn’t been on any jobs yet and wondered if maybe I should think about taking one before I had to pay rent. Plus I wasn’t used to all this free time since being Crimson Blade’s trump card for the better part of the last decade kept me busy doing all of Raiden’s bidding.

“Iris, may I have a word?” Master Makarov asked as soon as I entered the guildhall, stopping me from approaching the job board.

“Of course, Master,” I agreed without hesitation before following him upstairs to his office.

Once I entered I was surprised to see that Gajeel, Mira and an unknown blonde-haired male were also already waiting inside.

“So, what’s this about old man?” the unknown male asked.

“I’m assembling a B Team,” Master said getting straight to business with a mischievous grin.

“For the Grand Magic Games?” Mira wanted to confirm and voiced the surprise of everyone in the room since it had already been announced who was representing Fairy Tail for the upcoming magical competition.

I already knew about the Grand Magic Games after hearing from the kid named Romeo who explained how it was a fast-track way of Fairy Tail becoming the number one guild in Fiore once again. Master Makarov had since announced those who would represent Fairy Tail as Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Gray and Natsu.

Master chuckled before answering Mira. “Damn right, you brats. I just got word from the kingdom that we are allowed to put forth two teams instead of one this year. I’m stacking the deck to make sure Fairy Tail takes the gold.”

The other three in the room seemed to immediately accept the Master’s proposition and answered in kind, some more inquisitive than others.

“Gihee. Well, I don’t know how I feel about being considered as B team, but it looks like our team can kick salamander’s ass,” Gajeel replied smugly.

“It’s so exciting!” Mira giggled in agreeance.

“Who’s the fifth member?” the third member asked since we all knew there were five members in Team A.

“That will be announced at a later time, but they will be a prized member, rest assured,” Master responded with a smirk.

“Erm, sir… I am happy to do this but why choose me?” I finally voiced my concern, feeling shocked that I would be put in the same ranks as two dragon slayers and a she-devil.

I was familiar now with most everybody’s powers and could list a few in my head off the bat who would be better suited in being a public representative for the guild. Having just joined and under the circumstances I didn’t think I was the most appropriate choice. But apparently the others didn’t agree.

“Sunshine, you can’t be serious. Of course we’re putting our phoenix slayer on our team!” Gajeel grumbled like I was an idiot, using a startling nickname that I had never heard before.

I froze at his confident attempt at reassurance, still taken aback by how everyone seemed to put their faith in me even though I had just joined their ranks. Raiden and the others had never trusted me, but that wasn’t all that surprising since I had never put my trust in them either.

“Yea, you might be tiny, but you have more magic power than some of the others have in their pinky finger,” the third man added in his surly tone.

I looked up at him in surprise. How could he even back me up when I didn’t even know his name? I could only sense him as another dragon slayer since his scent resembled Gajeel, Natsu and Wendy.

“I don’t think that’s the case but I will accept your invitation to be a part of your team,” I replied at last, knowing I was in no position to deny the Master’s orders this early in my indictment into his guild.

If anything I was good at taking orders and this didn’t even crack the top ten questionable tasks I had been requested to do in my life.

“Of course we want you as part of our team silly, you’re a part of our family now,” Mira giggled again.

Master grunted in approval and that seemed to be the end of the conversation everyone started to take their leave.

“Just don’t tell the others!” Master shouted after us on our way out.

I followed the others out of the office but was stopped for the second time that morning when a hand clasped onto my shoulder. I looked up to see the tall blonde man had his rather large hand over my shoulder. I sized up his appearance, looking for any weaknesses and frowned when I didn’t find many. That didn’t mean I couldn’t take him down however if this turned into an altercation since the fact remained that everyone’s ear drums were always a weak point from my phoenix cry.

“Calm down, Tiny, I just wanted to meet the newest member who just made Fairy Tail’s Team B. Gramps won’t shut up about having a supposed phoenix slayer in the guild,” the man said.

“I’m not tiny and I am a phoenix slayer. Who are you?” I asked bluntly, feeling this man was sizing me up the same as I had done to him.

But instead of keeping his surly expression on me, he smirked in response and removed his hand from my shoulder.

“My name is Laxus Dryer and I’m Fairy Tail’s lightening dragon slayer,” he confirmed steadily but with less suspicion now in his voice.

“How many dragons are in this guild?” I asked, realising now that I had met four when before this week I had never heard of this type of magic.

“Four. I’m the last since I’m sure you’ve already met Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy,” he replied.

“So you were raised by a dragon as well?”

This made him frown. “No, my human father shoved a dragon lacrima down my throat.”

I remained silent, not knowing how to react to that blunt piece of information.

“It was good to meet you, Tiny; I’ll see you after training,” he interrupted the silence before stepping around me, ending the conversation just as abruptly as it had started.

That’s when I remembered that I was supposed to be joining Gray and the others on a training trip so I wouldn’t be able to take a job after all.

“Where were you, Iris? We’re all ready to go!” Natsu called out once I walked back into the common area of the guild.

I was still mulling over the Master’s offer about being a member of the B Team for the Grand Magic Games and what exactly a display of guild magic would look like when made to be put on for a show.

“Right, I’m ready,” I replied, slinging a rucksack onto my shoulders before running after Natsu.

I worried that Erza must have broken into my room to retrieve it and chastised myself for not putting up better protections. I also noticed the rest of Team Natsu already assembled plus a few others for a notable three month trek to go train and get stronger. I was used to this type of gruelling regimens so I viewed it as more of an effort to learn everyone’s magical capabilities so maybe I could start feeling comfortable around all these new people.

“Hey, you’re Iris right?” a small woman came up beside me with blue hair and an orange dress.

“Yea and your name is Levy, right?” I replied, not having formally introduced myself to her before now.

“It looks like we’ll be training together,” she added in what seemed to be small talk to which I severely lacked the skills for doing.

I tried to gauge her tone for any intent, seeing if she trusted to have me around or not.

“Erm—there’s something I wanted to ask you,” she started out nervously.

I held my breath, thinking that she probably didn’t want me to be a part of her group after all. I was interested that Erza asked me to join their training group but I also felt that Levy had more of a right to be there than I did with her friends.

“Do you think maybe we could train together?” she finally blurted out timidly.

“You want me to practice with you? Like sparring?” I repeated back since this had been the last thing I expected.

“Well, yea. Lu mentioned your powers and even Gajeel seems impressed by you. I want to make sure I get stronger and I wanted to see if you could teach me some things,” she explained with slightly more conviction but I could tell she was probably a timid person by nature.

“Yea, sure… I can be your sparring partner,” I replied since I couldn’t think of any acceptable reason to refuse.

Again I was good at taking orders, especially ones that made me inwardly cringe.

“Really!” Levy replied more excitedly.

“What’s your magic power?” I asked more interestedly to better understand how we might be able to train together.

“Oh, I’m a solid script mage,” she replied with an ever increasingly large grin.

“I’ve never seen that type of magic before. Would you be able to summon solar rays with your script magic?” I asked, knowing only the basics of the magic she wielded.

“Yea! I can summon any element by writing it out!” she explained enthusiastically.

Moving out of town with the others, Levy and I discussed magic skill and tactics on our entire journey to the destination Erza had picked for us to train. Natsu unsurprisingly ended up sprawled out on top of Lucy’s lap while the others settled in for the ride. The only thing that kept me on edge were the two men who sat closely on either side of us and hung off of every word Levy spoke. Levy however didn’t seem to notice and ignored them the entire time. I internalized my instinct to take them out in one strike only when I noticed their emblems as Fairy Tail. Thankfully, it was less than a day’s travel to our destination so I was able to supress my instincts so that everyone arrived in one piece.

“What is this place?” I asked once we exited the carriage we had taken from the train station to the destination.

“It’s a beach vacation spot, Iris. Haven’t you ever been to one before?” Lucy replied cheerfully while she unloaded the carriage with her things in hand.

“Is this the ocean?” I asked feeling a little bit in awe, unable to hide my disbelief.

“Of course!” Lucy continued to smile.

I stood just outside the carriage and stared at the water and sand beach before me.

“Iris, have you ever seen the ocean before?” Gray came up beside me after he doubled back to where I was standing.

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed for not ever having seen something as simple as the ocean. But I couldn’t help but observe how beautiful it was.

“That settles it then! We must show Iris what a true beach holiday looks like!” Erza exclaimed and earned the collective approval from the others.

“Wait… what about training?” I asked, not wanting to be the reason everyone slacked off on the very first day.

“Nonsense! Relaxing the first day is just the thing we need to get our minds focused!” Erza replied before pulling me towards the resort.

I watched as Juvia grabbed onto Gray’s arm and dragged him along as well. Lucy, Natsu, Happy and Levy followed close behind while I learned that the two men who I had wanted to take out earlier were named Jet and Droy. Bizarrely, they were the last ones who were apparently fighting over who got to take Levy’s arm and didn’t notice when she had already left the carriage.

“Wait, if you’ve never been to the beach before we have to get you a bathing suit!” Levy exclaimed when we dropped our bags into our shared rooms.

I was sharing a room with Levy while Lucy was with Wendy and Erza was with Juvia. This left Natsu and Gray to bunk together leaving Jet and Droy in the last room. 

“Oh… alright,” I replied, not having been shopping in my life.

Raiden always sent his lackies out to bring supplies for the guild, including clothing since the Crimson Blade elite couldn’t risk being seen in public.

“I’ll get this one,” I said, seeing the first one in the store Lucy pulled me into.

“Erm—I don’t think that one would be very flattering. It’s bright yellow so it’ll clash with your orange hair,” Lucy explained.

“Oh,” was all I replied.

I had never really given any stock to my appearance, but I was fond of my bright orange hair that complimented my wings and had the same colouring as Xavierus’ feathers. Besides that I had a standard build, bigger than Duana by comparison. For my attire, I was consistent in wearing skirts that showed off my thigh emblem and a crop top that showed my midriff. The colours or fabrics however changed from what I had received and since leaving my previous guild I didn’t find it necessary to change my outfits now. 

“What style do you usually like?’ Lucy asked, wanting to take another approach.

“I’ve never been shopping before,” I explained without much bother but the others looked as if this was something pitiful.

Levy and Lucy shared a look of sympathy before they each grabbed onto my hands and pulled me into the depths of the store. I watched hesitantly as they grabbed several bathing suits off the racks and shoved them into my arms before stuffing me into a dressing room. Even more disheartening was that they didn’t like the first five I tried on. They told me they were too big, too small, clashed with my hair, didn’t look right. I was sensing this was a futile mission before I put on one that looked mismatched. It had an orange top and dark green bottoms. But when I stepped outside Levy and Lucy’s faces brightened.

“That’s the one!” they shrieked together.

I didn’t say a word but instead went over to the large mirror. I realised that the colours did look nice together and it seemed to cover my body without looking too loose or too tight. I guess they both knew what they were talking about so I decided to take their word for it. Master Makarov had given me a sort of allowance loan for the trip since I hadn’t worked an honest day in my life. I had promised to pay him back once I started working to which he agreed. This meant I had money to buy the bathing suit that the girls were calling a necessity. Then they dragged me towards the hotel where I changed back into the new bathing suit and then headed out to the beach where everyone else already was enjoying themselves.

“Come on, Iris! Come in the water!” Natsu called out once he noticed our arrival.

Lucy and Levy were already running into the water without stopping but I paused at the edge of the sand. I hesitated and saw Wendy splashing around with Happy and Carla in their floating devices. Erza was wading in the water where Lucy and Levy headed. Natsu was a little further out where he was submerged up to his chest. Juvia was looking back at me uneasily by herself but I couldn’t understand why she was always looking at me like that. However, I sensed another presence come up to stand beside me.

“Can you swim?” he asked much less judgementally than I would have predicted.

I nodded. There had been a lake in the forest where I grew up and my father had taught me how to swim as part of my survival training.

“Don’t scream or you’ll deafen the entire resort,” Gray cautioned ominously.

I whipped my head around to face him but he was already bending down to wrap his arms around my knees. He then stood up and slung me over his shoulder before he stepped into the water.

“Put me down, Gray!” I ordered but he only chuckled and kept wading into the water.

“This looks like a good place,” Gray announced before I could say anything else.

Immediately Gray unceremoniously threw me into the water which was deep enough that I became submerged. I came up a few moments later and swept the hair out of my face. My glare focused on the perpetrator who was standing there looking very sure of himself but faltered when his gaze dipped down from my eyes. I watched as his eyes broke from mine and travelled down my neck to my orange top. He kept staring down and I continued to watch as his eyes traced my stomach to the rest of my body that was hidden beneath the water. Taking his unexpected distraction I lunged forward and tackled him down. He wasn’t expecting the retaliation and went down without any fight at all. Moments later though he came up to the surface sputtering water.

“Water fight!” Natsu exclaimed suddenly as he and the others came over to see us during the commotion.

I refrained from using my magic and adapted to their rules of using hands to splash each other.

“Chicken fight!” Lucy exclaimed later on and I watched her steadily climb onto Natsu’s shoulders once he lifted her up.

Both of them looked eager to win and I looked around to see who would challenge them. Jet and Droy were once again arguing who would pick up Levy which seemed like a common occurrence. But I was taken off guard once again when I felt a pair of arms clasp my waist and lift me onto their shoulder like I weighed no more than a child.

I looked down to see the now familiar head of messy black hair. Lucy laughed as Natsu brought her closer. I didn’t know what the goal was when I saw Lucy lift her arms towards me.

“You have to knock her off,” Gray answered my unasked question.

I smirked then and lifted my arms before wrapping them around Lucy’s to push her off. I knew I could easily win but our fight was interrupted by a sudden frenzied wave crashing onto us. All four of us were swept away and it took a while before I was able to kick up and found the surface.

“What the hell was that?” Natsu shouted while the others looked over at Juvia.

I finally noticed her hands retracting from being water themselves and back into their fleshy shape.

 _“So she’s a water wielder,”_ I thought to myself.

After that I followed Lucy out of the water who was still coughing up sea water. Levy also joined us where we laid out some towels on the beach. The others closed their eyes but I only grew out my feathers so they acted as a protection for my eyes against the sun. The suns rays also didn’t really affect my skin but only gave me more energy as I let it absorb into my skin. I also refused to close my eyes in a place where there were so many strangers.

“Want to spar properly?” Gray came up once he was done competing with Natsu building sandcastles.

“Sure,” I replied, feeling intrigued since I had gotten the upper hand on him the first time we met.

I followed Gray to a secluded opening on the beach that was away from the other tourists.

“Alright, fair fight,” Gray said before we squared off.

I nodded and executed my first attack.

“Phoenix slayer: solar strike,” I said before sweeping my wings in a downward motion which summoned a beam from the sky and landed directly onto Gray.

“Ice make: shield,” Gray countered, creating a shield above him.

I looked triumphantly that there was a perfect hole carved into the center of his shield where my attack pierced.

“Alright! Iris is sparring!” Natsu came up before I could land another attack on Gray.

“Hey, fire idiot, we’re in the middle of a match,” Gray argued but Natsu ignored him.

“I’m all fired up now! I can keep up with Iris’s flames this time!” Natsu exclaimed excitedly.

“Natsu, what’s going on?” Lucy asked as she came over from her meditation session with one of her spirits.

“First one to take Iris down wins!” Natsu exclaimed again, not seeming to hear anyone around him.

“Alright,” I replied simply.

“Iris, are you sure?” Gray spoke up with slight hesitation in his voice.

I shrugged. “We’re here to train, right?”

“Alright! Fire dragon: roar!” Natsu shouted immediately and sent out a fiery attack.

My wings were already extended and easily absorbed the fire that was seemingly less intense than the sun.

“Phoenix slayer: solar beam,” I sent the same move back that I had already used on Gray.

I watched as Natsu’s cocky grin fell and my beam once again marked his skin, although not as deep as last time.

“What the hell!” Natsu shouted furiously.

“Can I give it a shot?” I heard Juvia ask as the other girls came over to join us, prompting Jet and Droy to follow in Levy’s wake.

“Sure,” I replied, readying myself for a water attack.

“Water slicer!” Juvia exclaimed confidently.

The water attack was separated meaning it was meant to hit my body in several different areas. Therefore I expanded my wings and set them ablaze with my solar flames. As the water entered my personal space my flames were hot enough that the water evaporated.

“That is really impressive,” Lucy watched in awe.

I wasn’t used to praise since Xavierus had always been strict with me when it came to training. He had been a fair teacher but I only knew when I was successful when he deemed I had perfected a skill. Then he would reward me by teaching me an entirely new skill that I was also meant to master. And after nine-years-old I never heard a word of praise again. It always came down to whether I would be punished or not depending on if I was successful on a job since Raiden wasn’t the praising type.

“Want to give it a try, Levy?” I asked, watching the bluenette slink back in the group.

“Oh, I’m not sure I can come close to landing an attack,” Levy said self-doubtingly.

“Come on, that’s the whole point of sparring,” I replied.

She nodded before stepping forward.

“Sold script: iron!” she shouted before I sensed something entering the space above my head.

I quickly swept my wings back which moved my body out of the way in time to avoid being squashed by the sudden brick of iron that appeared over my head.

However, I looked down after it landed and realised that the sharp, splitting pain from my foot was because the solid script landed on it.

I bit my tongue to the point where I tasted blood but refused to show the pain I was feeling in waves.

“I—Iris, what’s wrong?” Levy asked, thinking I had completely dodged the attack so was confused as to why I wasn’t fighting back.

“Iris?” Gray stepped forward now that I was refusing to speak.

“Dammit, it’s on her foot!” Gray exclaimed when I turned to look at him and he noticed something that must have given me away.

“Why didn’t you say anything?!” Lucy asked while Gray and Natsu lifted up the heavy piece of iron.

“I’m so sorry!” Levy cried out, looking horrified that I had actually gotten hurt.

“No, you were creative, that’s a great tactic. I was absolutely expecting a flame or water attack and you went for something I can’t absorb into my wings. So far you’re the closest one to bring me down,” I replied waiting for the slight aching to subside.

“Iris, you should have showed that you were in pain!” Gray sounded furious now which I completely didn’t understand.

“I’ve trained to not show pain. Don’t worry about it, I’ve been through way worse,” I shrugged.

However this didn’t seem to subside everyone’s worries but the complete opposite. The girls excluding Erza looked horrified while the others including Erza looked angry. I was confused again that they were responding so strongly to something that didn’t have anything to do with them.

“But Iris, if you tell us you’re in pain we can help you easier and sooner,” Lucy whispered calmly which through me off again.

I remained silent as I contemplated her words. “Alright.”

“How are you feeling now?” Erza asked.

“Part of my regeneration magic is that I heal really quickly. I don’t feel any pain anymore,” I replied.

“So, may I have the next attempt?” she asked.

I nodded and watched her requip into one of her armours.

“Whoa, I’ve never seen that one,” I heard Wendy exclaim.

“I must admit this is my newest armour. I purchased it shortly after coming back to Magnolia from Destrian Forest. It’s solar empress armour,” she replied with a determined look.

My eyes widened and I realised Erza had just turned the battle so that our powers were equal.

“Phoenix slayer: wing attack,” I swiped my wings in a downward motion which brought a sweeping wall of solar flames towards Erza.

I watched as she moved and blocked them in turn with her armour. I knew then that my long range attacks wouldn’t work since I wasn’t about to unleash a cry in this setting when it wasn’t an actual battle.

Instead I instantly flew up into the air so that I was directly above Erza before plummeting down and landed on top of her sword she had paired with her armour. On my hand I had crafted a blade made entirely out of a solar beam that I sparingly used whenever I engaged in hand-to-hand combat. My style of fighting hardly ever called for this measure but I trained regularly for it to remain ready.

Erza smiled as I brought down my shining blade towards her but she easily blocked it with her own, forged to be able to sustain solar attacks. Her moves were seamless as we moved rapidly around the clearing, trying to land an attack on the other.

“Princess?” my focus was interrupted by a new voice nearby.

I halted in my actions since I didn’t want to hurt any innocent bystander and braced myself for Erza’s blow. However she seemed to have heard it as well and halted her own movements.

“Virgo?” Lucy asked the pink haired woman wearing a maid outfit who had seemingly arrived out of no where.

I recognised the name Virgo as being one of the constellations so I figured this must be one of Lucy’s celestial spirits.

“We need all of your help, there’s an emergency in the celestial world,” Virgo announced.

I watched as everyone immediately reacted and started asking how they could help.

“We need you to all come to the celestial world!” Virgo explained.

The pit of my stomach clenched as I thought of being brought into another realm I knew nothing about.

“You all need to wear these clothes to pass through the gate,” the pinkette continued explaining.

Every one of my instincts were telling me to run away but everyone else around me was quickly pulling the new clothes over their swimsuits.

“Here, let me help you with that,” Levy said as she came over and lifted a dress over my head that had a tie in the back.

The dress was a really beautiful deep green with tiny golden stars sparsely placed across it.

“Alright, everyone’s ready,” were the last words I heard Virgo say before I felt my whole body being pulled into some sort of portal.

Moments later when it was all over, I immediately took in my surroundings and looked for whatever threat Virgo had mentioned.

“What’s the crisis Virgo told us about?” Lucy asked and I turned to stare at the giant moustachioed man standing in front of us.

I figured this must be the foe we were up against but everyone else seemed so calm in his presence.

“Celestial World King,” Lucy greeted him and I realised that this man was presumably some sort of god to this realm.

“Lucy and friends, I have tricked you here for a surprise party!” the giant god-man exclaimed.

I continued looking around this unrecognizable place while the others immediately cheered.

“Wow, Lucy’s never introduced me to her new beautiful friend before,” I was suddenly met by a man with spiky brown hair and sunglasses.

“Are you one of her spirits?” I asked, stepping away from his outstretched hand reaching for my shoulder.

“My name is Leo, but you can call me Loke. I am one of Lucy’s spirits but I am also a member of Fairy Tail,” he explained with a beaming grin.

“I don’t think I should be a part of some party to celebrate Fairy Tail. I just joined,” I replied while glancing around at everyone else settling into the party.

“Don’t be foolish, any friend of Lucy’s is welcome. We wanted to throw a party since everyone’s been gone for seven years,” Loke explained, inching closer again with his eyes on my bare shoulders.

“Even a friend who spent the last ten years in a dark guild?” I replied evenly.

I watched as Loke’s expression turned but he didn’t look disgusted like most others did. Instead he looked sad and a little guilty.

“You know, Lucy saved me from my own death. I killed my previous master and the penalty was to be expelled from the Celestial realm. Lucy pleaded with the Celestial Spirit King to take me back. So if Lucy has found the good in you, then that’s good enough for me,” Loke replied more sincerely.

I could only study his expression, finding that the abrasive greeting he initially used wasn’t as honest as the expression he was showing now.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it,” Loke stated, now looking up into the starry skies above us.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” I admitted, feeling awestruck and that my guard was slipping.

“Come on, I’ll show you the buffet,” he announced before extending his hand for me to take again.

This time I took it and let him lead me into grounds he was much more familiar with than I was.

“Loke, don’t go hitting on Iris!” Lucy appeared suddenly reprimanding him.

I watched as his earnest expression turned to one more perverted again. Loke then chased after Lucy, commenting on her celestial dress.

“Iris, come try the food!” I looked up to see Gray waving me over to a large spread of unfamiliar cuisine.

I accepted the plate Gray was holding and tried the meats and dried fruits that were on it. It was fantastic to taste the new flavours as they flooded my mouth.

“Amazing, right?” Gray asked and I nodded in approval.

“Yea, I haven’t ever tasted anything like it,” I replied before taking another bite.

I started hearing music once I was finished with my food. I noticed that one of the spirits had started playing a harp and was singing in such a beautiful voice.

“How was your visit with us?” Loke came back when we were all assembling to leave.

“This is the first time I’ve unwillingly travelled somewhere I ended up enjoying,” I replied.

His smile broke again but his expression remained soft.

“I’ll see you around, Iris,” he smiled before stepping back.

Just like before my body felt like it was being pulled through a vortex before I came out the other side.

“Where have you guys been?!” Jet and Droy instantly greeted us.

I felt bad since I hadn’t even noticed they didn’t come with us.

“What do you mean, it’s only been an afternoon,” Levy tried to placate them but I felt they were being even more overreactive than what seemed normal.

“Levy… you’ve all been gone three months,” Jet and Droy replied wide-eyed and shocked.

Virgo appeared again and explained to Lucy that it had been in fact three months since we left Earthland which meant we already had to return to the guildhall before leaving for the Grand Magic Games.

“It’s hopeless,” Lucy whined as she sank onto her knees.

Most of the others shared in her sentiments.

“What’s that?” Wendy asked, looking up to see a bird heading right towards us with a letter attached to its leg.

“What does it say?” Levy asked, watching Erza unfurl it once she detached it from the pigeon.

“It’s a summons. Someone wants us to meet by the old bridge tonight,” Erza explained.

“Let’s go check it out!” Natsu immediately exclaimed.

“I agree, we should go investigate,” Erza decided, meaning the rest nodded in agreeance.

“You’re all just going to heed this invitation? You’re walking into a very poorly planned trap obligingly?” I asked, not understanding where this careless trust always came from.

“Iris, we know it’s probably a trap but we have to meet it head on or if not someone less capable might fall into it,” Gray explained but I only scoffed at him in return.

“Raiden would have burned a letter like that and punished anyone for even giving it to him,” I replied in frustration that they were acting with a lack of self-preservation.

“But we’re not a bunch of cowards like Crimson Blade who only hunted people for sport,” Gray retorted in frustration.

Everyone went silent as I stared at Gray in shock.

“Well at least someone is finally treating me with the right attitude,” I finally responded before walking away abruptly.

I could feel everyone’s eyes on the back of my head as I walked off.

~~

“Iris—” Gray stepped forward, feeling he had taken it too far despite his initial irritation.

He knew that Iris was only trying her best and was up against ten years of surviving in Crimson Blade. It wasn’t fair if he snapped at her when her reasons to her were in their best interest.

“Iris can stay if she wants,” Erza said more gently than he was used to.

The others frowned but nodded before they set out to the meeting spot the letter indicated.

~~

I ended up at the beach where I walked along the shoreline. I couldn’t understand why they would all walk so willingly into an obvious trap when the easy answer was to throw the letter away. But was Gray right, did that make me a coward. Was I nothing more than Raiden’s puppet while they went and risked their lives for the greater good.

 _“Maybe I should go and back them up,”_ I thought before hearing several cries in the distance.

After spending these past weeks together I could already tell their voices out of the chaos of everyone else’s that created the constant humming around me. I knew it was Lucy, Levy, Juvia, Wendy, Natsu, Happy, Carla and Gray. I couldn’t hear Erza but figured it was only a matter of time until the enemy got to her as well.

I immediately spread out my wings and followed the sounds of their agonizing cries until I found an abandon cabin tucked onto the cliff overlooking the beach.

“Erza?” I asked, finding her standing outside the cabin.

“Hello, Iris,” she greeted kindly.

“What happened?” I asked, feeling panicked now that I could distinctly hear everyone’s crying.

“It’s nothing to worry about. We ended up meeting some old friends and they all willingly had a spell cast onto them to open their second origin. They’re in for a rough night but they’ll be fine,” Erza explained.

I nodded before taking a seat beside her in front of the cabin’s door.

“You were worried about all of us,” Erza stated, not asking it like a question.

I frowned but remained silent, feeling betrayed by my own emotions that went against my instincts.

“I apologize, Iris, none of us here know what it must have been like to survive as long as you had to. None of us judge you for being so cautious, but in return I hope you can understand that we were all raised differently to go headfirst into any situation together,” Erza was now sitting beside me as we both looked out towards the sunset.

“We also appreciate you coming when it seems we need you most,” Erza added after a long bout of silence.

“You should get some sleep,” I said in response to Erza’s statement. “It’s the least I can do after letting you come out here by yourselves.”

Erza nodded before getting up to find some flatter ground.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you needed to come with us, Iris. I’m already convinced you have your second origin,” Erza stated before turning over to fall asleep facing the other direction.

My mind felt murky which I hated while I was left watching over everyone when they were so vulnerable. Erza’s words drifted through my head but were constantly interrupted by the pained cries from those inside. I was sure they were drifting in and out of consciousness but their bodies still cried out. It sounded like listening to Crimson Blade members when Raiden decided to punish us with his shadows. Seeing your worst fears also expelled groans and cries from individuals despite their reservations. No one ever held out against the shadows that ended up engulfing everyone in the end.


	3. The Dark Wizard of Fairy Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Magic Games begin!

“So, Master ordered a carriage to take us to Crocus?” I asked as the four of us stood outside the guildhall.

“Yea, Master wants to keep our team a secret until the last minute and didn’t want to chance us being seen,” Mira responded politely.

“Is that it?” Gajeel regarded sounding impatient, watching as a carriage pulled up from the main street.

It stopped in front of the guildhall which was as good enough of an explanation for the four members waiting. The driver came out to collect our bags before opening the door. I followed Laxus, Mira and Gajeel into the carriage only to be confronted by someone already sitting inside.

“So this is what the old man had up his sleeve,” Laxus observed to the stranger.

From what I could tell this person was a man but he had a cap pulled down plus his collar covered most of the rest of his face. When I met his eyes they only grew wider in surprise.

“Osiris Larkin?” the stranger asked as I took my seat beside Mira.

“Umm, yes that’s me,” I responded hesitantly.

“Last time I checked your name was on the Magic Council’s most wanted list as part of the hunter’s guild Crimson Blade,” the stranger stated coolly.

The colour drained from my face immediately but more surprising than this mystery man knowing my name and previous statues was Gajeel snarling in my defense.

“Like you’re one to talk,” he retorted angrily.

My nerves were on edge even though I knew my name had since been cleared for the exchange of information for my previous guild. I suspected that Master must have taken responsibility for me and that if I was to take another misstep it would land me into a permanent cell in the Magic Council’s prison. But this guy obviously knew more about my past than the others.

The mysterious man chuckled before pulling down his collar to expose his face. I could see his bright blue hair and a very distinct red mark down the right side of his face. It made sense that he would disguise his face if he didn’t want to be recognised since anyone down the street was most likely to give an apt description of him if needed.

“Don’t worry, I used to be part of the Magic Council years ago, but I have committed too many sins to be considered on the good side anymore,” the man explained ominously.

I continued to look at him skeptically.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself. We have a long ride to Crocus and I can’t tolerate it if you’re going to be cryptic for no reason,” Laxus barked at him.

The man nodded his agreeance before giving me the most unexpected small smile.

“Yes, I guess that is fair considering we are now on the same team for the Grand Magic Games, after all. My name is Jellal, Jellal Fernandes,” he finally introduced himself.

My mouth gaped despite myself. This was the man who had summoned everyone at the beach and helped open everyone’s second origin. Even before I met Gray and the others though there were whispers of the Tower of Heaven that reached Crimson Blade.

Jellal obliged me and told me about himself on our journey to Crocus. He ended by explaining that he had recently formed a new guild named Crime Sorciere which was created in atonement for each member’s sins. I frowned during this part of the conversation and wondered if maybe that guild would be better suited for me.

“Fairy Tail suits you, phoenix slayer,” Jellal said as if he were reading my mind.

Mira smiled in agreeance before we all fell silent. Laxus and Gajeel were both looking rather uncomfortable by this point. 

“So, motion sickness affects all dragon slayers then?” I asked, keeping my distance from the two of them.

“It only started for these two quite recently. I think Wendy is the only one who doesn’t get motion sickness at this point, but I assume it’ll happen sooner or later,” Mira explained.

I inched closer to Mira to get away from Gajeel who was now suddenly hurling beside me out the window.

“At least you don’t let your guards down as obviously as Natsu,” I observed.

This seemed to please both Laxus and Gajeel since they each managed to smirk. However, before anyone could say anything else Jellal turned his attention towards the opposite window.

“It looks like we’re here,” he observed.

He then pulled his collar back up so only his eyes were showing.

“Oh, and I ask that you refer to me as Mystogan for the time being. My name isn’t quite cleared from the most wanted list yet,” he explained more seriously.

I nodded as we pulled up in front of the inn. Mira grabbed onto my hand before I realised she was excited to have arrived. Jellal was the first to exit but disappeared by the time the rest of us stepped out next. I didn’t have time to wonder about his other purpose for being here since I was overcome by the amount of stimuli around me. Looking around the capital city in surprise, it was obvious just how big it must be. I had never been here before and it was really quite beautiful taking it all in.

“Are we all sharing the same room?” I asked once the four of us made our inside the inn.

“Well, we are paying for the room ourselves and Crocus rates are the highest in the kingdom,” Mira said in kind.

I sighed but didn’t say anything else before claiming one of the beds in the center of the room. I noticed Laxus take the bed on the left while Gajeel took the one on my right. Mira sat smiling at us from her chosen bed across from mine which left the cot by the window for Jellal whenever he returned.

“Do you want to go see the town, Tiny?” Laxus asked once we were all settled into the quite plain room.

I looked over at the proclaimed lightning dragon slayer and was surprised to see he was talking to me.

“I’m not tiny,” I retorted, feeling annoyed and folded my arms over my chest to punctuate the emotion.

“Whatever, do you want to come or not?” he continued more brashly.

Mira was still smiling which I didn’t know by this point if she was capable of anything else while Gajeel let out another growl of disapproval; again it seemed most everyone in this guild has a default setting.

I shrugged in answer but this seemed to be all the acknowledgement Laxus needed before grabbing onto my wrist to lead me out of the room. When we appeared down on the street Laxus finally let go and fell into step beside me.

“Have you ever been here before?” I asked once he chose the direction we were heading.

“Yea, I ended up here for a while after I was kicked out of the guild. I ended up wandering to a lot of different places actually,” he admitted keeping his gaze forward.

I remained silent since I didn’t feel I had the right to push Laxus for more information on his past, but it seemed that what Lucy said about the past might ring more true than I anticipated.

“You know, what Jellal said about you being on some wanted list or something. No one here gives a damn about that,” he continued.

Even though his head was still facing forward I could now see his eyes shifting downwards at me.

“I haven’t really told anyone about my past here yet. I didn’t think it was something anyone would be really interested in,” I replied.

I didn’t feel defensive about it but I was now starting to feel the full weight of my embarrassment that I had fallen from grace for so long.

“You know, a few years ago I tried to wipe out the entire guild,” Laxus confided.

This time I turned my own gaze to meet his.

“Why are you telling me all this?” I asked sceptically.

“Because I figure if we’re going to earn your trust we might as well be honest with you,” he replied simply.

“Earn my trust?” I was taken aback.

“Yea, I can tell you don’t trust easy and that’s okay. I’m the same way and it took me a hell of a long time to figure out that Fairy Tail deserved my trust so I wanted to save you some of the trouble,” Laxus admitted.

I regarded him blankly before discerning that what he was telling me was the truth.

“Well, thank-you. And I appreciate you telling me about your past,” I replied before we continued walking through the streets.

Laxus nodded.

“I’ve helped wipe entire villages off the map,” I finally confessed in a whispered tone once I felt like maybe I could admit some things to someone who had strayed into the dark and come out the other side.

Crimson Blade called itself a hunters guild because they would go after anything they wanted and took pleasure in the chase to obtain it. Anything in their path would get wiped out along the way.

“Fairy Tail is a good place to help you get past that,” Laxus replied without so much as a hesitation of what I had just admitted.

I nodded again, more shocked this time. We didn’t say much more after that before making it back well prior to the midnight curfew for the contestants.

Gajeel and Mira were already in the room when we returned and Jellal made it back sometime after by 11:30. When the clock struck midnight we were all sitting on our beds.

“Attention ladies and gentlemen!” a voice sounded from outside our window.

We all stood up and walked over to try and find where the announcement was coming from.

“Welcome to the qualifying round of the Grand Magic Games! Only the first eight teams to make it to the top of the maze wins!” the mysterious announcer exclaimed excitedly and much to the point.

“Qualifying round?” Mira was confused along with the rest of us.

“I don’t think they’ve ever had one before,” Jellal added.

Suddenly the hotel we staying in started to rise into the air.

“What the hell is going on?” Gajeel shouted from beside me looking rather green from the sudden movement of the inn.

All of us continued to look out the window to watch as all the other inns where competing teams were staying also rose into the air.

“So we have to make it to the top of that thing?” I guessed, now looking up towards the large circular maze in the air.

“How are they managing to create such a structure out of magic?” Jellal added in a sceptical tone.

None of us had an answer for that. Instead, we watched a stairway form in front of us that made it obvious it was to be used to enter the airborne maze.

“There are no rules, so keep in mind that we are not responsible for any loss of life,” the announcer continued.

“Loss of life?” Mira voiced her automatic concern.

“Mira, you can fly right?” I asked, not at all phased by such a foreboding warning.

She smiled and nodded.

“Alright competitors, on your mark…” the announcer started his countdown.

“Je—I mean Mystogan, can you manage to follow us?” I asked, knowing that the dragon slayers ironically didn’t have any flight magic.

“Don’t worry about me,” he replied seriously.

I unfurled my wings behind me.

“Don’t think for a second that we are going to be carried by the two of you,” Gajeel caught on rather defensively.

“Hey, this is for Fairy Tail becoming number one, is it not?” I retorted, thinking pride was always such an inconvenient emotion.

“Come on, metal brain, just do as Tiny says,” Laxus conceded, moving to step beside me.

“Alright Sunshine, I’ll go along. But this better mean we beat Salamander’s team to the top!” Gajeel finally agreed.

“Get set… GO!”

Once the pathway connected to our windowsill I immediately grabbed onto Laxus and lifted him into the air. Mira followed suit in her she-devil form carrying Gajeel. Jellal kept pace using a magic circle that allowed him to float in the air. It was much easier not depending on the physical paths as we flew overhead. I didn’t think very many other groups would have this advantage.

“We should head east,” Jellal announced from close behind.

I didn’t question his directions since I knew he had been surveying the games for the last six years to investigate some kind of surge in magical energy that appeared each year without fail; something he ominously updated us on just before the announcement of the start of the games.

I led my team towards the eastern peak of the maze and wasn’t surprised when we eventually reached a door.

“Welcome Fairy Tail Team B!” a strange looking mascot greeted us.

“What’s with the pumpkin?” Gajeel asked looking skeptically down at the creature.

“I’m the referee for the Grand Magic Games! My name is Mato and I’m here to welcome you as one of the top qualifiers,” he replied with an enthusiastic voice.

“What place are we in?” Mira asked, smiling her usual smile down at the pumpkin man.

“You did really well! You’re in second place!” the pumpkin replied.

“Great plan, Tiny,” Laxus patted my head before stepping forward towards the door.

“Who came in first? It better not be Salamander’s team!” Gajeel barked despite the proud smirk on his face.

“All will be revealed at the opening ceremony!” Mato replied before ushering us through.

On the other side was an elevator that brought us all the way back down to the ground. Laxus led us back to our inn which thankfully was back on the ground by now. We would only get a few hours of sleep before the ceremony in the morning so I crawled into bed and fell asleep without any trouble.

The alarm woke us up early the next morning. The boys grumbled, including Jellal, but Mira wore her never-ceasing smile. I was used to being on such a schedule so the early hour didn’t bother me. I did feel uncertain however since this was the first time I would truly get the chance to fight for Fairy Tail. I knew that I was the newest member which still made me weary of Master’s choice but everyone else so far seemed to support his decision.

I put on the uniform Master picked out for us and followed my team out to the grounds. My outfit ended up being a black skirt with white stitching paired with a black button up t-shirt with white buttons. It felt comfortable enough to fight in and I was glad I wasn’t given the poufy dress Mira donned beside me. It didn’t take long for the boys to change and then we were making our way out into the arena. None of the other members of Fairy Tail had seen us yet so I knew our entrance would be a surprise. Hopefully, Team A made it as well, but I didn’t really think that was an issue.

“WELCOME TO THE GRAND MAGIC GAMES!” the pumpkin man announced from the centre of the stadium shortly after our arrival.

We were still waiting in one of the tunnels that would lead us into the main arena once we were called out to be introduced as one of the eight competing teams.

“Now to announce the final competitors of the Grand Magic Games… in eighth place it’s Fairy Tail!” Mato introduced.

I was shocked that they were already sitting in last place, but at least both teams qualified. Gajeel on the other hand seemed to revel in our position compared to theirs.

“So, will you admit Tiny’s plan was a good one now?” Laxus questioned.

“Yea, Sunshine had a good plan,” Gajeel smirked and patted me on the head much like Laxus had the night before.

“I’m not that small!” I retorted before moving out of his reach.

“In seventh place is Quatro Cerberus! Sixth is Mermaid Heel!” the announcer continued.

“An all girls guild, huh?” Laxus asked.

I shook my head at him and waited for the others to be announced.

“In fifth place is Blue Pegasus.”

“Those boys are awfully pretty,” I said, unsure of how to consider them as opponents.

“Hey, keep focused,” Laxus shook his head.

“You’re one to talk,” I grumbled back.

“Fourth place is Lamia Scale!”

“Wait, is that one of the Ten Wizard Saints?!” I asked, recognizing Jura.

Even in the depths of the forest where Crimson Blade’s guildhall was located, we still knew about the Ten Wizard Saints.

“Natsu and the others actually teamed up with Jura and his guild to take down the Oracion Seis,” Jellal explained.

“So he was part of the group who took down the Seis, that’s quite impressive actually,” I commented, not realising the others all exchanged troubled looks that I seemed to be well aquatinted with the previously disbanded dark guild.

“And you see that guy dressed in the blue shirt?” Mira asked, deciding not to voice everyone else’s curious worry about my past.

I nodded.

“That’s Lyon Vastia, he trained with Gray under the same master when they were kids,” Mira explained.

I continued to look at the other supposed maker ice mage.

“Now for third place… Raven Tail!”

“What the hell are they doing here?” Laxus grumbled through gritted teeth.

The others had similar looks of disgust on their face as we all watched the competitors for Raven Tail enter the arena.

“I know them too. That might pose a problem since they’ll recognise me,” I said, knowing this for sure would lead to reputation issues for Fairy Tail.

I felt my feathers pushing from the inside of my skin like they did whenever I felt uneasy. It was like getting goosebumps whenever other’s peoples instincts told them something wasn’t right. I had also fought alongside Raven Tail a few times since they were one of the only other dark independent guilds in Fiore besides Crimson Blade. Looking out into the arena, I honed my sight onto the five competitors walking out but was interrupted when I felt someone clasp a hand onto my shoulder.

“Everyone here knows who you are so don’t let these morons get to you. We all have a past Iris, so don’t let that stop you from going all out and winning for Fairy Tail,” Gajeel said confidently.

I nodded and straightened my shoulders. We were going to be called out next and I didn’t want to appear startled or weak in front of Ivan’s band of goons.

I could hear everyone’s anxious whispers from the stands since it was a given that Sabertooth qualified for first place. All the top guilds had already been called out and most of the audience and some competitors didn’t know about the two-team rule.

“In second place… please welcome Fairy Tail B team!” Mato finally introduced us, prompting us to walk out.

The crowd was silent in shock while the other teams looked confused. The looks on Team A’s face were priceless though. However, the quiet from the crowd drew out before I heard a few angry cries and boos from the stands.

 _“I guess Fairy Tail really was considered dead last in Fiore,”_ I thought to myself.

“And in first place… the crowd favourite… Sabertooth!”

I turned around to see the number one guild in Fiore enter looking quite full of themselves. Again, the tips of my feathers pressed on the inside of my skin. Maybe because of the sheer amount of power coming off of the Sabertooth guild, or the fact that they carried themselves much like Crimson Blade did whenever they came out to conquer. However, it might still be because I was on edge feeling Raven Tail watching me standing with my new teammates.

“The team with the twin dragons Sting and Rogue!” I heard the audience cheer.

“Two dragons?” I whispered, now looking between the two men leading the group.

“Yea, well we have four dragons and a phoenix so don’t let them throw you,” Gajeel huffed.

“Speaking of which, where is Wendy?” I asked, noticing that Elfman was standing with Team A instead of the sky dragon slayer.

My question however was interrupted by Team A walking over with scowls on their faces.

“I can’t believe Master kept it a secret!” Gray looked more put off than usual but not as much as Natsu who was whining up into the stands about wanting to single handedly restore Fairy Tail’s name.

“Don’t think I’m holding back in a fight,” I smirked at Gray to goad him along further.

I found that out of everyone it was easier to talk with Gray without having my guard up all the time. The truth was though that I didn’t know how to befriend most other people since I had never had the opportunity to make friends before.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Gray replied evenly with a grin.

However, once the crowd finally calmed down from Sabertooth’s entrance the uproar of Fairy Tail having two teams started.

Surveying the crowds, I saw that the audience was growing more and more outraged of our entrance into the games but that didn’t bother me. The only thing I was still unsure about was the entry of Raven Tail despite them apparently being a newly legitimate guild.

“Well, there was a slight change to the rules this year that allowed two teams per guild to enter. Fairy Tail is just the only guild where both teams made it to the qualifiers,” the referee explained.

Raven Tail looked lividly between both of our teams. I recognised four of the five members except for the one wearing all metal. Oddly, he was the one staring right at me while the others stood around him looking intimidating at my other guildmates.

“It doesn’t bother me in the slightest if Fairy Tail has two teams, all the more humiliating for them when they lose,” one of the members from Sabertooth spoke up.

Their reasoning was less than friendly but all the other teams except Raven Tail seemed to agree that our guild having two teams didn’t matter to them.

“Alright, everyone! Now that the teams have been announced there’s no reason to delay any further!” the referee continued.

The announcers from the box, introduced as Chapati Lola, Mr. Yajima and Jenny Realight, officially started the games.

“The first event is called Hidden. Each team is to pick their representative who will compete in the first event. Once all teams have chosen a player the event will be explained. After the event ends, there will also be four battles. A player from each team will be chosen through the audience’s votes,” Chapati explained from the announcer’s box.

“Hidden? That doesn’t sound much like a fight. And we don’t get a say on who fights afterwards…” I said, thinking that didn’t leave much room to build a strategy.

“Sunshine, I think you’re the obvious choice for something called Hidden,” Gajeel said.

“What? You want me to compete in the first event?” I doubted their capability to make sound decisions.

“Mhm!” Mira agreed sweetly. “You might be the smallest in our group but you are also very skilled. I think both of those will help you with this task.”

Jellal nodded, acting more like his alter-ego Mystogan while out in public with his collar fully up over his face.

“Come on, Tiny, get out there,” Laxus shoved me out towards the middle of the arena without any further discussion or my actual agreeance of going forward.

I conceded anyway since they didn’t appear to be backing down and truth be told I was good at following orders. So I walked out to join the group that was assembling in the middle of the stadium. Looking up, I saw a picture of me projected onto a lacrima screen for the audience to see that I would be representing Team B of Fairy Tail.

“Long time no see, Iris,” a purple man named Nullpudding stepped towards me with an evil looking grin. “I’m surprised to see Raiden’s little birdy joined up with the fairies.”

I shrugged, wanting to avoid being baited by one of Raven Tail.

“Is this guy bothering you, Iris?” I turned to see Gray now standing beside me with an annoyed scowl on his face.

“Iris is just an old friend,” Nullpudding explained vaguely before glaring up at Gray.

Gray put his hand on my shoulder to lead me away from where Nullpudding was standing.

“Don’t let that creep get to you,” Gray said seriously.

I shrugged again.

“So you’re competing in the first challenge as well?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

“You better keep your promise, I’m not going to go easy on you,” Gray replied.

“Oh, don’t worry. Master made sure we would compete to win. He promised us anything we wanted if we won the games,” I replied.

“Wait—what?! We didn’t get that incentive! …What did you ask for?” Gray asked sounding surprisingly nervous all of a sudden.

Enjoying the fact that he seemed so flustered I bent over to whisper in his ear. “Just for someone handsome to wait on me for a day.”

Then I stood up and winked at him before stepping away. Gray’s face showed his eyes wide and mouth slightly open. I didn’t fully understand why he was responding so strongly but the announcer appeared before I could say anything else. There was no explanation before Mato called forth the event to start. Therefore, I was ill prepared when the environment around me suddenly changed and it seemed I was transported into a vacant town.

“ _This is unbelievable!”_ I thought to myself.

It appeared that I had been transported away from the other players as well, probably meaning I would have to seek them out at some point. I guess the name _Hidden_ now made sense. But I didn’t want to sit waiting for someone else to approach so I started to walk around. However the game changed again when I became surrounded by player dummies.

This is when Mato finally decided to explain the rules of the game. It was pretty straight forward—don’t hit the copies or you lose a point, don’t get hit yourself or you lose a point, and hit as many people as possible to gain points. And with that the game had begun.

 _“Hmm, my light magic will be conspicuous, so I have to make sure my attacks don’t miss.”_ I thought to myself before moving around the now crowded street.

I kept thinking about all the other players who had been announced. Gray used ice maker magic and presumably so did Lyon. That would be another obvious give away. I also knew Nullpudding used needle magic, which allowed him to transform different parts of his body into needles to attack his opponents, after having worked alongside him before. This left four players I knew nothing about. Slowly, I continued to move around the copies, looking for giveaways of the other players. There was too much magic energy to hone into the others and it was also unfortunate that my copy didn’t mimic my takeover ability so I couldn’t walk around with my wings out without giving myself away. I stopped after awhile and closed my eyes to listen. Thanks to my training over the last three months my senses were greatly improved.

“ _I can hear their footsteps,”_ I thought to myself before silently stepping towards the closest set.

I could hear several others closing in onto the same position. Obviously, I didn’t want to get taken out, so I used a nearby alley to transform my wings to fly up onto one of the rooftops. From there I could see that it was Gray who was walking around. He was an easy enough target so, I centred myself to take him out. However, someone beat me to the surprise attack.

 _“Carrots?”_ such a strange attack using vegetables appeared from the girl representing Mermaid Heel who suddenly thwarted Gray.

From my vantage point I could see as her attack missed and also gave her position away. Instead the competitor from Quatro Cerberus landed an attack on her so I moved over to see if I could land an attack on him instead. However, it was obvious by now that everyone had centred in on the commotion since Lyon Vastia stepped forward and landed his own attack on the delegate from Quatro Cerberus. This left Gray and Lyon standing off against the other.

 _“No holding back,”_ I thought to myself.

“Solar flares!” I yelled, standing up from my position and bringing two precision flares down onto Gray and Lyon each.

Both looked up in surprise before they were transported off to another part of the map. I grinned, landing myself two points before I felt someone come up from behind me.

“Too slow!” Nullpudding yelled and brought his attack down on me.

 _“Damn, how did he find me so quickly? And from on the roof?!”_ I thought angrily to myself before I popped up somewhere else.

Standing up, I realised that this new street was suddenly becoming covered in snow.

 _“Ugh, I don’t do very well in winter climates since my magic generates from warmth and solar power,”_ I thought again.

I used another alley to disguise myself enough to fly up onto the roof. It seemed to be the best way to watch what was happening on the street where I spotted the boy from Blue Pegasus using the snow to land three attacks on other players by noticing their breath. However, Lyon took him out since the cold doesn’t seem to affect him, similar to Gray.

I looked around at all the other players since I could home in on their locations from here. Nullpudding was going after Gray which only left the guy from Sabertooth who hadn’t been taken out yet. Scanning around, I finally noticed that there was someone else using the roofs similar to me. But unlike me, he wasn’t hiding himself. Instead he was standing like a spectator, watching the rest of us take the others out.

I frowned when he began speaking to the rest of us, saying something about memorising all of our magic. I wondered if he already took some other players out or if he had been standing up there the entire time.

But his next move proceeded to attack all of the players separately from where he was standing. Most everyone was taken by surprise except for someone who was used to such surprise attacks. I found it unsurprising that it was Nullpudding who dodged his it first.

“ _That’s all I need.”_

I used Nullpudding’s half-assed attempt as a distraction. The guy from Sabertooth was using some form of light magic after all.

Unfurling my wings, I tilted my feathers as a deflector. Even though I would take the hit it reflected back towards the man standing at the top of the building in turn. Looking up, I watched as my attack hit straight at the target but tore through his body as if he were a ghost.

The ghost form bowed his head in return despite its gaping hole from my attack.

“I’m just a memory,” he explained before the apparition disappeared from the rooftop.

Suddenly, I was feeling more fed up that I didn’t have any points left and hadn’t been able to take the self-proclaimed prince of Sabertooth down a notch.

Huffing audibly in annoyance, I turned to survey my new location. I had to work quickly so I closed my eyes until I heard two sets of footsteps nearby. I ran, not being as stealthy as I had been before I stopped behind the corner of where the two individuals were obviously facing off. I heard a familiar shout of annoyance, knowing the opponent had gotten the upper hand on Gray. Once I heard Gray vanish I turned the corner without hesitation and aimed my solar flare at the unknown individual. I watched as my attack landed squarely onto an annoyed looking Nullpudding.

“Like a true dark wizard, lurking out of the shadows,” he spat before being transported to another place on the map.

I looked around and noticed all of the cameras that most likely captured and broadcasted Nullpudding’s vicious words. But before I could react, Mato came over the PA system and announced that the event was over. The town subsequently disappeared, and the competitors were allowed to return to their teams. I looked up onto the score board with my fists clenched that I only managed one point. I was surprised to see though that Gray didn’t have any. I turned my head to see that he was already walking away with his head bowed.

Then I heard their whispers.

“Dark wizard…”

“What did he mean by dark wizard?”

“Who is she anyway? I don’t ever remember hearing her name as part of Fairy Tail.”

“What kind of wizard has wings like that? Is it dark magic?”

I frowned, bowing my own head before walking back to where Team B was waiting for me.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, feeling that I let down my team right out of the gate.

“Don’t go doubting yourself now, Sunshine, we need you if we’re going to take first place,” Gajeel said as if the opinions of those calling me ‘dark wizard’ weren’t the very opinions we were here to sway.

“He’s right, Iris. I don’t think any of us could have done any better,” Mira added reassuringly.

“You even reflected that attack from Rufus, it was pretty impressive,” Jellal added from behind his collar.

“I guess… but Nullpudding outed me. Everyone’s talking about how Fairy Tail has a dark wizard on their team now and they’re not wrong,” I asserted with clenched fists.

Mira stepped forward before putting her hands over my balled fists.

“Iris, you’re part of our family now. Our only regret is that we didn’t find you sooner to take you out of Crimson Blade. No one in Fairy Tail counts your past against you,” Mira acknowledged sincerely.

At her words I exhaled slowly before meeting her eyes.

“I’ll do anything I can to make sure Fairy Tail becomes number one,” I replied evenly but not without doubt of my rightful place.

“And don’t worry, Raven Tail will get what’s coming to them. I’m just happy you landed a shot on that purple bastard. He wouldn’t let up on Gray,” Laxus added with a deep look of irritation.

“Is that why Gray didn’t gain any points?” I asked, feeling marginally guilty that I had also landed a shot against Gray.

“Yea, Raven Tail kept singling him out,” Gajeel replied irritably despite the dragon slayer’s own feelings towards Fairy Tail’s resident ice mage.

I looked up to see the lacrima screens were replaying some of the highlights. Unfortunately, they chose to replay each player’s last moment in the event which included Nullpudding announcing that I was a dark wizard. I turned my attention over to see Team A looking distraught and noticed that Gray wasn’t standing with them.

“Do you mind if I head back to the inn early?” I asked, still cringing at the whispers I could hear from the audience.

Laxus raised his eyebrow but nodded. The others didn’t protest, and I heard Mystogan being named as the contestant chosen to battle from Team B so at least I wouldn’t have to compete twice.

I walked back out of the arena and ended up on the streets of Crocus. There weren’t too many people out since most were either sitting in the arena or were holed up in the pubs to watch the games on the lacrima screens. I kept walking but ventured past the inn where we were staying. I knew Team A was staying at the Honey Bone inn since Master told us not to book that one to keep our arrival a surprise. Arriving in front of the Honey Bone, I stopped short at the door before working up the nerve to walk in. I asked the front desk which room Team A was staying in and flashed my guild mark when she gave me a questioning look. She continued to give me an uneasy look but told me what room Team A was staying in anyways. I figured she had seen the games from a lacrima screen and recognised me as the dark wizard of Fairy Tail.

Making my way up the stairs I stopped once I arrived at the door. It was crazy to think that both Fairy Tail teams had to all stay in the same room together, but I supposed Mira had to be right about the expensive rates of the rooms. Plus, I was sure that falling in ranks over the last several years that Fairy Tail obviously didn’t have many funds to accommodate as they may have at one point.

Exhaling deeply, I knocked before waiting for a reply. Several moments later I knocked again but still didn’t hear a response. Drawing my irritation, I closed my eyes to focus my hearing on the person who was in the room who obviously just wasn’t getting up to answer the door. Growing tired, I tried the door and wasn’t overly surprised to find it unlocked.

“Juvia, I need a—” Gray started before he turned around to face me.

“Sorry, not Juvia,” I replied before closing the door behind me.

“Hm,” Gray grunted but didn’t say anything else.

I took his silence as permission to stay since he hadn’t explicitly told me to leave.

Gray was sitting in a chair with his fists clenched on either side.

“What a joke, huh? Making Fairy Tail number one,” Gray said finally through gritted teeth.

“Yea, I guess. I was pretty lousy,” I whispered in reply.

I went to sit under the window with my knees pulled up to my chest.

Gray’s eyes widened when he heard my reply.

“That’s not—I didn’t mean you!” he backpedalled looking distraught that I took his comment personally.

“Gray, I only got one more point than you. Plus, I just got named as Fairy Tail’s dark wizard and I think the name’s going to stick,” I sighed before bringing my cheek to rest on my knees.

I still kept my gaze towards Gray who looked like he was getting worked up over something. I continued to watch him and was surprised when he unclenched his fists and exhaled loudly.

He looked over at me and looked more determined than angry.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to come back even stronger and show everyone that they’re wrong about us,” he said.

Gray looked like he wanted to say something else, but he remained quiet as I made to stand up to leave since it seemed Gray had rallied quite quickly. I didn’t feel Gray’s sudden pivot of self-confidence but stopped short at the door when Lucy came barging in with tears running down her face. I was standing close to the doorway so that Lucy couldn’t come through without stepping around me. Instead of letting me step out of the way however, she wrapped her arms around me and let herself break down. I stood there shocked but didn’t say anything and eventually stroked her hair while she cried into my shoulder. Gray had stood up from his seat, but I realised I didn’t know when he had done that, whether it was Lucy’s abrupt entrance or if he had done so before Lucy ever showed up.

We didn’t have to ask Lucy what happened, Gray and I felt similarly but were showing it differently. We all lost today and felt we had let down Fairy Tail. I’m sure the details would come out later, but for now Team A’s room became the pity party for Fairy Tail Day One competitors; hopefully Jellal had managed some success. Lucy finally excused herself to go take a bath, so I sat myself on one of the beds and became lost in thought as to how I could prove to the world that I was no longer a dark wizard. I wasn’t sure I even believed that myself, stewing in my own self-doubt so much so that I didn’t hear when Gray finally came over. I only noticed him when he sat down rather close beside me on the bed.

“I hate it that they’ve gotten to you like this,” he stated with concern which caused me to look over at him.

His face showed his unease, but it was more his softer nature which through me off. I liked being around Gray since I found that he was more like me than the others. He didn’t show his feelings very well and went around acting like nothing could touch him. But now, I could see his concern and I didn’t know how to react.

“I just can’t help thinking that I’ve done too much wrong to be forgiven so easily,” I finally admitted quietly.

I looked down at my hands and couldn’t help picturing all the lives I had helped to end.

“You know I don’t think Gramps ever forgave Laxus when he went against the guild, it was Gildarts who brought him back to the guild. And I’m sure you’ll find out Gajeel’s story one day as well, but I know Gramps didn’t forgive him for everything either. But it’s also not in his nature to turn someone away when they stand a chance against the darkness. We brought you to the guild to give you a chance, and we stand behind you in these games because we’re your family now,” Gray stated with a fiery conviction in his eyes.

I couldn’t help the blush that formed across my face, especially when I noticed Gray lean in even closer to me, so close that I could feel his breath on my face. We met each other’s eyes with a sense of intensity and fear. No one had ever looked at me like that and I didn’t know what it meant to feel this way. But before I could react anymore I heard Lucy step out of the tub. Gray’s eyes turned panicked which sent him across the room and back to his chair. With nothing to do, I picked up the book that was sitting on the bedside table and started to page through it just as Lucy stepped out of the bathroom. I took another moment to flip a few more pages before I set the book down again. I hoped my face was less flushed, but Lucy looked between the two of us with only a look before she moved around to get ready. It looked like she had been crying but was collected enough now.

“Should we head down to the bar?” Lucy asked.

With both a shrug from me and Gray, since we had nothing else to do and I suddenly found myself latching onto any reason to get out of the room I had decidedly let myself into, we agreed to follow Lucy down to the bar.

It was nighttime when we left the inn and headed down the street to the nearby pub. The noise alone was proof enough that the guild was gathered there to celebrate our rather pathetic defeat. Apparently, I found out, Jellal tried to show off which caused someone from his other guild, Meredy, to step use her sensory link magic to prevent him from giving away his true identity.

I guess Jellal didn’t want to let down Fairy Tail either, but showing his true magic was way too risky when he was still a wanted fugitive from the Magic Council.

“What if Lucy seduced my Gray!” we all heard when the three of us had entered the bar.

Lucy rolled her eyes at that like Juvia’s jealousy was nothing new.

“That is never going to happen,” Lucy replied as Juvia turned around and smiled at the sight of Gray.

I felt uneasy when Juvia linked her arms through Gray’s but went to join the rest of the guild instead.

“I wanted to say that it was amazing today when you sent Rufus’ attack back at him!” Natsu rushed over, looking his usual excited self.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” I shrugged in return.

“We think he might have used Sting’s light dragon magic for that attack,” Erza said, coming over to join us.

“Sting? Isn’t that one of Sabertooth’s dragon slayers?” I asked, feeling intrigued that there might be a dragon slayer with similar magic to mine.

“Yea, him and his partner Rogue are calling themselves third-generation dragon slayers,” Lucy also joined us to explain.

Natsu growled angrily.

“What’s a third-generation dragon slayer?” I asked.

“Apparently they were raised by dragons and have consumed dragon lacrimas, but that’s not all. They also admitted to killing their dragons,” Lucy declared sadly.

I inhaled sharply. “How the hell could they kill their parents?!”

I remembered watching Sabertooth entering the arena earlier today and thinking that their leader with the blonde hair had looked quite handsome. Plus, learning he might share similar magic to mine was even more intriguing. But, it was unimaginable to think he killed the dragon who raised him. I clenched my fists in anger and thought to Xavierus dying. He gave his soul to me, was that the same as killing him too?

“Alright, listen up you brats!” the master announced, interrupting all other conversations.

“Today’s defeat will only carry us to tomorrow’s victory! Fairy Tail will be number one in Fiore again!” he exclaimed proudly, if not a little intoxicated.

“We better get a good night’s rest, Tiny,” Laxus said, coming up before putting his hand over my arm.

“But I just got here!” I exclaimed as Laxus proceeded to drag me out of the bar.

He didn’t let go until we were back in the room. I noticed that Gajeel and Mira followed us back since they followed us into the inn.

“I guess Mystogan is out,” Gajeel noted, looking over to the empty cot.

“Yea and our reserve team member is passed out drunk at the bar right now,” Gajeel said shaking his head.

“Cana?” I asked, knowing I had seen her trying to keep up with the guy from Quatro Cerberus.

“Yea, but we better get our rest, we have a comeback to win tomorrow,” Mira exclaimed before she crawled into bed.

I nodded, feeling the exhaustion from today’s events finally taking hold. I still felt bad about losing today but I was done pitying myself. As for my new label that still taunted me at the back of my mind. I didn’t think Fairy Tail deserved gaining that sort of gossip and reputation but everyone seemed set on keeping me as a competitor for the Grand Magic Games. Since Jellal was already out for almost giving himself away during his face-off with Jura I couldn’t drop out and leave them down two men after only a day. So I resolved that if things got worse then I would step down with a little more notice. As for now, I let sleep take a hold as my exhaustion won out over my worrying.


	4. Grand Magic Games

“Can I ask why Gajeel was so insistent on competing in an event called _Chariots_?” I asked harshly, watching as the iron dragon slayer crossed over the finish line second to last, though I supposed I didn’t do any better yesterday.

Thankfully for Team B, Gajeel wasn’t the only slayer to enter this event, and it seemed that every dragon had the same weakness to moving vehicles—pathetic. Curiously, I watched the light dragon slayer from Sabertooth actually forfeit, meaning he took last place. Even though his abilities interested me, I had to remind myself that he apparently killed his dragon guardian—even though I didn’t know the whole story. The truth was that Fairy Tail took me in and looked past all my mistakes, so I wasn’t going to let myself judge him so quickly.

“Good luck, Mira,” I acknowledged when the she-devil was announced as the next delegate in the face-off against Jenny from Blue Pegasus.

“I can’t wait to see her in action,” I admitted once Mira was out on the field.

“Yea, Mira is a force to be reckoned with,” Laxus stated with a rare smile crossing his lips.

I offered a small smile back before leaning on the railing to watch the battle. Disturbingly, the face off battle between both girls only progressed to their battle stance before they used their take-over magic to transform into their bathing suits.

“Erm—what exactly are they doing?” I hesitantly voiced my concern.

“Are they… modelling?” Gajeel echoed his own disbelief, sounding put off by the lack of physical fighting.

“Hey, as long as it works,” Laxus shrugged nonplussed at the she-devil’s tactics.

I sank my shoulders in response, feeling this was an odd showcase for a battle.

“Wait… others are joining in?!” Gajeel exclaimed when it appeared that some of the other competitors were starting to jump from the stands onto the field.

First the ladies from Mermaid Heel joined, followed by the cousin duo from Lamia Scale.

“Well.. in that case,” Gajeel glanced over at me more suggestively this time.

He couldn’t actually be serious… “Wait, what?!”

“That’s right, Gajeel! We must all join in and do our best!” Fairy Tail’s First Master appeared startingly, ever so conveniently carrying a swimsuit in hand.

“First Master… this is MY swimsuit!” I shot back darkly, feeling uncomfortable over how she even got her ghostly little hands on it.

“Come on, Iris, let’s go join the others,” the First Master exclaimed excitedly like I hadn’t even spoken before leading the way out onto the field.

I looked back at the boys but all three of them, now including Jellal, only shrugged. I frowned in defection, sinking my shoulders downward before moving my hands chastely over my chest as I sulked out into the arena. I fought every instinct in my body to burn the entire stadium to the ground; it irked me even more knowing enough about the First Master to know she was the ‘Fairy Tactician’ and obviously had an infuriating amount of faith that I would keep my murderous inclinations in check.

Instead, she turned back with my bikini in hand, the same one I had bought with Lucy and Levy during training, making me wish I had gotten one that covered a little more skin.

“You’re here too, Iris?” Lucy asked as soon as I walked down to join her.

“The First Master didn’t really give me an option,” I replied oppressively.

“Wardrobe change! School swimsuit!” Chapati Lola exclaimed, one of the games announcers, before we were all forced to switch into one-piece blue bathing suits.

Looking down to see that my bikini had in fact been replaced by a swimsuit I did not own was a gross misuse of magic in my opinion.

“Wardrobe change! Bikinis and thigh highs!” Chapati called out again.

And was being controlled by an overeager host…

“Why the hell did we change out of our bikinis in the first place then!” I exhaled in deadly frustration.

The colour of my thigh highs were the same dark green as my bottoms, contrasting my orange bikini top. Lucy apparently deemed that it was a cute mix, but I was beyond livid to even care.

“Now try on some glasses!” Chapati ordered.

A pair of golden, cat-eyed glasses appeared on my face without me having even put them on. “These are prescription! I can’t even see!” I shouted in insurmountable frustration.

“They do look good on you, though,” Levy added encouragingly while she sported her regular reading glasses.

“This is so humiliating,” I finally exclaimed, feeling completely mortified.

If only Raiden could see me now…

“Cat ears!”

Thank the goddesses he couldn’t. How far had I fallen…?

“What the hell is this?” I demanded, still wearing my bikini with glasses and now forced to put on orange coloured cat ears.

“This is so embarrassing!” Wendy wailed beside me.

It really didn’t seem right that someone so young had been herded into this as well. The First Master really had no restraint.

“Bondage!”

“Absolutely not!” I exclaimed definitively, adamantly refusing to fit into something black and leather with fishnet stockings.

That sleezy announcer was going to have a hard lesson in degradation against women as I planned on searing it into his flesh, nice and slow.

The girls around me all seemed to take one large step back, my skin sizzling with the humiliation inflicted for no reason other than the First Master’s sense of fun.

“Why don’t we do a blushing bride round?” the guest judge Jason from Sorcerer Weekly suggested over the PA.

I sighed in utter defeat, breathing out the heated frustration coursing through me, before taking this round slightly more into my own hands. Carefully, I envisioned the dress I had secretly perfected over the years; using my transformation magic, I slowly turned my own feathers into my dream wedding dress. It was made from my pale pink feathers for the skirt which elongated down to my feet stemming from my back. The top sprouted from my spine, made to look like a pair of wings folded over my bodice, leaving part of my mid section exposed like I did with my everyday outfits.

“Grab a partner, ladies!” Jason exclaimed wildly, obviously delighted with his idea coming to fruition.

I stared back at the guys who had forced me to come out here. They both shrugged again before very quickly changing into a couple of tuxes and headed down. Maybe the Sixth Master had his own sense of fun, stowing tuxes tucked away like the First Master had with our bathing suits.

Laxus came out and immediately to grab onto my hand while Gajeel grimaced before deciding to lay down on the ground for a nap. Master Makarov obligingly paired off with Mira in order to ‘secure the win’ while many other Fairy Tail members paired off as well.

Surprisingly, I noticed Lyon from Lamia Scale come over to grab onto Juvia. Even more surprising though was when Gray kicked him off and caught Juvia out of the air, chastising Lyon for not being a member of Fairy Tail or something to that effect.

I turned away to survey the other couples and realised Laxus was staring down at me with a questioning look. Neither of us had the opportunity to say anything though before the announcer spoke again, this time sounding quite deflated compared to his overeager announcing beforehand.

“What’s that up there?” Chapati asked, causing everyone to stop and look up to see the Master of Lamia Scale who was now standing up towards the top of the arena.

“And that ends the competition!” Chapati announced, sounding wholly defeated once the older Master started parading around in her two-piece swimsuit.

I wasn’t at all put off by the display but was extremely pleased to be able to change back and for the games to resume.

“Hey, Iris?’ my name was spoken carefully behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to find Gray standing there looking unsure of himself, running his hand over the back of his hair in a nervous gesture.

Laxus let go of my hand without a word, leaving me behind to walk back with Gray.

“I just wanted to say, you look nice,” he stated rather timidly.

“So do you, Gray,” I replied before walking back to where Team B was reassembled.

Maybe the comment was strange, especially gauging the way my teammates were looking at me like they knew something I didn’t. All I could think was how nice it had been to hear such a thing come from Gray. I hoped he had accepted my compliment just the same.

“What’d the ice boy want with you, Iris?” Gajeel asked once I stepped back onto our platform.

Everyone was redressed in their uniforms for the competition while Jellal continued to stand in the back corner having luckily avoided the whole ordeal. I missed being able to prowl along the shadows like Jellal, an outlaw’s life. Struggling in the spotlight was exhausting and I doubted I was doing it right at all.

“Not much,” I replied with a shrug before turning my attention back to Mira on the field.

“Here we go,” Laxus said more confidently this time.

The sudden surge of magic power in the air as Mira transformed into one of her devil forms led to Jenny being knocked out in one hit, meaning Fairy Tail B was up to 12 points by the end of the second day.

Shortly after the games let out for the day so I decided to go off on my own, slipping past both Gajeel and Laxus who I was starting to notice took it upon themselves to be my keepers, much to my annoyance. It didn’t feel the same as being kept in a bird cage, but I would never be anyone’s pet ever again.

Crocus really was a beautiful city, an even better sight seeing it at night when I wasn’t immediately recognised for my gained notoriety from my not so distant past.

“Hey, it’s that phoenix chick,” a sudden familiar voice exclaimed from down the street as I made my way back towards the pub where Fairy Tail was apparently celebrating today’s success; the night sky not completely disguising me apparently.

I looked over to find the two twin dragon slayers from Sabertooth stopped and staring at me. The dark one looked disinterested whereas the light one looked on with more intrigue. “And it looks like she has senses like ours too.”

He smirked while I let my own interest get the better of me, walking over to join them so I would be within normal conversation proximity without relying on my acute senses. With three slayers gathering in the middle of town, if not a little ominously, I still wanted to talk to the dragon who had similar powers to mine.

“What’s a mage like you doing with the likes of Fairy Tail?” the blonde asked with a gleaming smile.

He wasn’t unlike those who had ended up joining with Crimson Blade; teeming with ambition and that air about him like he would do most anything to attain his goals. It made him dangerous, but he still belonged to a legitimate guild; the number one legitimate guild in Fiore no less. I found him fascinating.

“Gray and the others saved me,” I replied blatantly, watching the blonde smile wider with rapt attention while his counterpart started shifting into the surrounding shadows.

“You don’t strike me as the damsel type who needs saving,” the slayer eyed me pointedly, moving his eyes appraisingly over me before he brought his smirking gaze back up to mine.

This statement made me pause before I shrugged back and offered a smirk of my own.

“Well they did arrest me first.”

This made him bark out a laugh sounding like he was more impressed than put off.

“So it is true then about your past with the dark guild,” he remarked, still not looking very put off by this fact.

“Does it matter?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question even though I had been mostly silent about my ongoing self doubts since entering Fairy Tail.

I just couldn’t help asking this almost stranger, someone who seemed to hold the same kinds of darkness and who could regard me so honestly without many repercussions, as we would soon part ways.

The smile that beamed across his face was all pointed teeth with leering eyes.

“Sabertooth welcomes those who can survive. You would do well with us, Phoenix Slayer.”

“It’s Iris, actually,” I humoured him with a delayed introduction.

Impossibly, the smile on his face grew even wider. But before the grinning slayer could respond with his own name, the other slayer called out from the darkening shadows.

“Come on, Sting. We can’t leave Master Jiemma waiting.”

The slayer, Sting, seemed to snap out of his bravado when his partner called him to attention. With a sudden nod of agreeance he let his winged cat, an exceed like Carla and Happy, led him in the opposite direction from where Fairy Tail was staying.

Watching the twin slayers abruptly depart, I couldn’t help but think that such a curfew sounded much like how Raiden commanded Crimson Blade.

xx

_< Elsewhere in Crocus, another chance encounter was taking place.>_

“You know Juvia’s always been forward about her feelings, you should give her a solid answer,” Erza said to the person who stood beside her reproachfully.

“I know. I told her way too late, but it’s like she doesn’t take no for an answer,” Gray replied a little hopelessly, a tell to Erza who knew him well to know just how perplexed Gray truly was about the situation.

Gray always thought he had been clear, but up until now he realised he had never actually said no flat out to Juvia regarding her romantic advances.

“I know I am in no position to give advice on matters of the heart, but I do think that you’re not being honest with yourself,” Erza added with a soft smile.

“What do you mean?” Gray demanded sceptically.

“Well, if you can’t answer your own question then I can’t either. But Gray, there’s no reason for you to be so guarded all the time. You should let someone in and allow them make you even stronger,” Erza said warmly.

Gray sighed, leaning up against the railing beside Erza.

“I wish it were that easy,” he replied with his morose gaze hovering over the town.

“I can’t argue with you there,” Erza agreed sadly.

They both stood there for several minutes before Erza decided to head back to the hotel. Gray remained where he was, brooding over emotions he had never felt before.

xx

After meeting with the twin dragons, I ended up back at the inn for the night without joining in the festivities for Mirajane’s win of the day. I hadn’t felt much like celebrating, ending up laying in bed for the evening before drifting off until dawn.

The third day of the games gained both Fairy Tail teams much more success, slowly bringing the guild up through the ranks. Watching both Erza and Cana in the games was truly impressive and it fascinated me with just how immensely powerful some of my new guild’s members were.

“Hey, Iris…” someone called out as I followed Laxus out of the arena after the third day.

Laxus was looking worse for wear after fighting with his father, striking a few burning questions about his past though I kept quiet since I recognised his reluctance to talk about his dark guild connections.

Looking back instead I saw Gray coming up towards me. Laxus kept going on ahead with a short nod saying that he was fine to go up on his own. A blur of green told me that he wouldn’t be alone for long anyways, so I was content to let him go.

“Le—Levy says there’s a waterpark nearby. Would you maybe want to come?” Gray sounded nervous which was bizarre coming from someone who was always so sure of themselves.

I couldn’t help flinching at the non-distant memory of having to parade around in my bathing suit in front of the entire Grand Magic Games stadium. Gray seemed to notice it was well, his nervous eyes turning slightly disappointed.

Disappointing my guildmates in the past had never been an issue since I had never cared before. But somehow Gray looking dejected made me want to come out of my comfort zone.

“Sure—I guess I could come along,” I shrugged, trying to play it off.

Gray’s eyes widened, the blue of his eyes turning almost brighter which made me almost want to smile back.

Even more startling was that instead of saying anything more, I felt as Gray moved forward to take my hand, leading me all the way to Crocus’ water park.

The resort was pristine, packed full of mostly competitors who seemed to have the same idea for letting off steam on a hot day such as this.

“I take it you haven’t seen a pool before, either?” Gray seemed to have his cocky assuredness back, though he was no longer holding my hand.

“Well it was either a pool or the torture chamber, and you can guess which one Master Raiden chose to put in the guildhall,” I deadpanned back at him, watching his demeanor flicker back towards unsure before he collected himself again.

What I didn’t account for was Gray’s quick rebound or the proximity to the nearest pool. Suddenly, my centre of gravity shifted as Gray pushed me into it, me grabbing onto his arm to take him down with me at the last second.

It seemed to be how Gray and I oriented ourselves around each other, being able to slowly start to speak our mind without the other succumbing to the brashness of it.

It was easier to handle among the chaos of the water park, our guildmates all around us with their competitive nature. The energy was easy to get sucked into, until the end of the day when I couldn’t rationalise what had just happened.

“Hey, sunshine. I’m glad ice fairy was able to convince you to come along,” Laxus appeared at my side when it was time for the park to close and Fairy Tail was being kicked out.

I was still stewing in my assessment of what it meant to have spent a day swimming in a lazy river and racing Natsu down a ‘water slide’. All I could offer Laxus was a shrug, which he laughed off like he could see something I clearly didn’t.

“You looked like you had fun,” he said simply, halting my mind of all thoughts I couldn’t piece together.

Suddenly flashes of my childhood spent with my father flitted into my mind, running around meadows chasing butterflies and jumping from waterfalls when I learned how to use my wings properly.

Was it really so bad to fall from grace when it reminded me of the best times in my life?

Assembling the next day in the stadium, I decided to volunteer again since we had almost cycled through all of our members. Jellal couldn’t afford to show his face again, even figuratively since he still wore a cloak that covered most of it, and I didn’t know if Laxus was fit following the battle against his bastard father.

The team accepted my offer easily, though I paled when I approached an orb of water collecting in the middle of the arena.

A nagging thought told me that Juvia would have made a much better choice for competing in an event called _Naval Battle,_ but it was up to me instead who had to swim around in a floating orb trying to knock out all the other competitors. Who even thought of these crazy competitions?

Being surrounded by water severely limited my range of attacks since I couldn’t use any of my solar attacks in the water. Also, sound didn’t travel the same so I couldn’t use my Phoenix cry, and short of killing someone with my bare hands, I was pretty much out of options.

My assassin skills weren’t of use anymore, though once the battle started, that reflex was harder and harder to curb.

The sudden addition to Sabertooth, a woman named Minerva, really pushed that notion. If I didn’t know better, I would think that her end goal was to incite a battle to the death. It could feel her circling me, thinning out the battleground without actually meeting me head on.

It didn’t take long until the only other competitor who managed to hold out was Lucy, mostly due to her water wielder spirit. That’s when Sabertooth started showing their true colours, the look in Minerva’s eyes reflecting my past like a vivid memory. She was out for blood and I knew I had to cut her short before she succeeded. Such a look had never fazed me before, but now I was restricted in the power I could wield. There was no way I could unleash just for a competition when my very existence was already threatening Fairy Tail’s reputation.

Though it was difficult to target the enemy when she used one of her magic orbs to disappear from this plane, reappearing only so that her head reappeared to whisper into my ear.

“Take her out or I’ll make a bloody trophy out of her.”

Several things happened at once after that, the water suddenly turning pitch black around us. The temperature of the water also started quickly heating up, though it wouldn’t have any effect on me, Lucy would get boiled alive.

Working off of pure instincts, I followed my sense of smell and hearing, focusing on Lucy’s scent paired with her thrashing she used to orient herself in a futile attempt within the inky depths.

With a solid, almost bruising force, I shoved Lucy, knowing her and her spirit were thrown from the water sphere.

It was instinct over strategy at this point, my energy depleting without any source of sunlight. The task up until this point had used a lot of my magic energy, something I was quickly realising was all according to plan.

A cackling sound of laughter suddenly by my ear startled me, my senses quickly becoming disoriented in such an inopportune setting.

“I did want to see what a cooked birdy would look like, but I guess that won’t work on you. Oh well, why don’t we try chilled instead?” the voice disappeared just as quickly as it appeared.

I moved my arms and legs, deciding to try and find the edge of the orb instead. At least I knew I only had to hold out for five minutes since the timer would have already started when I shoved Lucy out.

However, the cold was taking effect even faster than I anticipated, my limbs moving slowly; too slowly, until I was frozen in place in the heavy water. A rippling feeling overtook my entire body, the same crippling feeling that overcame me the day my father died. This was fear.

That’s when she made her move.

“I hear that if you die, you’ll keep coming back,” Minerva cackled from somewhere around me. “Why don’t we test that, shall we?”

The attack straight to my stomach burned more than it should have, my skin burning all over from the cold. In a futile attempt, I tried to grow my feathers out as a protective layer, but that ended up being a horrible idea.

Minerva screamed in wicked delight as she took a fistful of feathers and pulled them out from my skin.

I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. The hits kept coming after that, covering every inch of my body until I felt my eyes start to droop. It was strange since I still couldn’t see but I could feel the familiar heaviness of unconsciousness that I hadn’t felt since I turned twelve and could fight back against Duana. 

Even though I knew it wouldn’t work as well as I wanted, I finally unhinged my jaw from its death lock since I refused to so much as whimper in pain. When I did open my mouth, my lungs completely emptied into a phoenix cry.

I knew it wouldn’t deafen anyone, but the water did ripple violently around us. Thankfully, it seemed to gain the attention of the umpire who finally called out for the round to end.

The first glimmers of light seeped through as Minerva obligingly let up on her darkness spell.

“I’ll just take this back,” she said slyly, before I realised that the residual pain coming from my abdomen was a sharp, jagged blade sunk fully in my body to the hilt.

Instead of just pulling it out, Minerva took her time and tugged up instead while my gaze dropped to watch as the blade gutted me.

_Fuck, I was going to die on live television. Raiden was going to see this; good riddance to the plucked bird._

I could still kill her… and everyone else here. She wouldn’t stand a chance—

“Let go of her!” Gray’s voice was absolutely livid, cutting my own plans of taking everyone out around me.

With the already healing gut wound still bleeding out, I hadn’t realised that Minerva was finishing her performance by carrying me out of the sphere with her hand wrapped around my throat.

I was the gutted trophy to lord over the entire wizarding community. At least it wasn’t Lucy, she didn’t deserve this.

“As you wish,” Minerva sounded all too willing to oblige Gray’s command, the last thing I could comprehend was dropping out of the sky as she let go.

xx

Gray didn’t miss a beat, already under the orb from when the ripples of Iris’ scream had reverberated across the entire stadium. Those vibrations still made his heart beat violently in his chest as he sprinted across the pitch to catch Iris out of the sky; again. It was nothing he had ever wanted to experience again, but nothing held him back as he reached his arms out and caught Iris as she plummeted towards the ground.

Every inch of her exposed skin was bruised, bloodied and scarred. It was evident where her feathers had been pulled out and where magic had pierced her body; an incredible amount of compounded magic to be able to inflict such damage on Iris who was more impervious to injuries than most.

But the thing that had Gray’s horrified attention was the slowly fading gash up Iris’ entire abdomen. It was completely obvious Iris had been stabbed with a magic blade and that it had sunk deep into her body.

Gray saw red, carefully pulling Iris as close to his body as he could while trying to hone in on any Sabertooth member he could find to rip apart.

“Gray,” Erza somehow cut through his fixated hate, her voice just as livid yet more controlled than he could ever manage right now. “Take Iris to the infirmary.”

This shocked Gray out of his anger just to convert into pure dread.

_Oh god, please don’t die. I can’t hold your body without a soul again. Don’t leave me like that again. I won’t leave you either, ever._

Gray’s thoughts were so desperate, his feet moving automatically under Erza’s command. It must have been from the conditioning he had experienced ever since childhood to obey Erza or else he wouldn’t be able to function right now.

“She’s still alive, but we need to get her to the infirmary, Gray,” Wendy appeared; another voice cutting through his frantic thoughts.

Gray walked more determinedly.

_I’ve got you, Iris. I’ll get you help. I’ll take care of you. I promised, didn’t I. I have your back now, and you will never have to die again. Please don’t die._

Gray made it to the infirmary without committing murder. Luckily no Sabertooth member was enough of an idiot to cross his path, though he was itching for one to be so obliging.

He didn’t know how much time passed sitting as close as he could without being in the way of the Porlyusica who thankfully had been invited by Gramps to be on standby during the games.

Iris hadn’t died and though she didn’t hide her annoyance for Gray and his presence, Porlyusica reassured him each and every time he asked for reaffirmation that Iris was still breathing.

“She’s incredibly strong. Now stop interrupting me and stay out of my way.”

Gramps entered some time later with a look of regret that only crossed his face once he was satisfied that Iris was alright.

He explained that now that Raven Tail was officially disqualified this meant the teams were uneven. The game makers’ solution was that Fairy Tail could only compete with one team going forward.

Gray liked the idea of Sabertooth being disqualified instead, but Gramps explained that the decision had already been made.

“I’m in, Gramps,” Gray stood up from the wooden seat he had sat vigil in as soon as he laid Iris in her sickbed.

The phoenix slayer still hadn’t woken up, but they had moved her bed under the window so she could bathe in the sunlight while her magic regenerated to heal her.

Gramps nodded, the master sharing a knowing look with his child, before he announced the other competitors as Gajeel, Erza, and Natsu.

Porlyusica shooed them out shortly after when the sun started to set. Gray felt frustrated, his anger replacing the helplessness he felt.

Decidedly, he approached Iris’ bed before leaving, whispering his promise into his sleeping teammate’s ear before taking his leave, a new purpose fueling his next step forward.


End file.
